Lovers and Kings
by Arigazi
Summary: COMPLETE! Majorly AU. MPREG. Summary inside. Slash. Aragorn and Legolas' son has grown up very content with life, until he lays eyes on a startlingly gorgeous pirate that was sent to find him.
1. Prologue Chapter 1

Warnings: AU. Slashy goodness! MPREG.

Disclaimer: Uh... anything you recognize, I don't own. Merrick's mine though. -smiles warmly-

A/N: I have reupholstered this story and decided to just post the complete thing in two parts. Enjoy.

* * *

_Lovers and Kings_

_Prologue_

"_You are submerged in darkness."_

The man snorted indignantly. "You destined me for this darkness the last time I visited you." He snapped, dismally impatient.

She showed no sign of hearing him._ "Love brightens the darkest caverns." _She declared airily, her voice seeming to echo in his mind though he could obviously see her lips moving in speech.

"What do you mean by that?" He demanded.

"_Your destiny awaits in Gondor."_

"Gondor?! The Land of Men?"

"_Travel to Gondor, or lose your destiny."_

"What does that mean? What will happen if I don't go to Gondor?" He hissed, not liking the idea of his life being planned out for him by these 'higher powers'. What did they know of what he wanted?

"_Your heart will forever be empty if this pilgrimage is overlooked and your lover is forsaken."_

Her image began to fade. "Wait! There are so many people there! How am I supposed to find her?!" He asked quickly, being slightly more polite.

"_Open your eyes to the unusual. Pull from your mind the ways plastered to your senses and let your mind be free to see with eyes unclouded by outside influences." _She waved her arm in front of herself and a sprinkle of magic dust glittered down from her pedestal to sparkle around the man.

* * *

"A caravan, Ada?" Ellisarian, the prince of Gondor, questioned hifs parent with a raised brow.

"Yes." Legolas nodded as he went over a parcel of paperwork concerning trade through his native land of Mirkwood, his new home Gondor, and the brother land of Gondor: Rohan.

"What kind of caravan?" Ellisarian queried, interested. He had been trying to get his Ada to dump all this work on an advisor and come to walk with him in the gardens, seemingly for eternity.

"Distracting me from my work will only prove to delay that walk you so dearly want me to accompany you on, my child." Legolas replied without looking up. "Ask your father." He suggested dully.

"You haven't come to the gardens in ages!" The teenager whined.

He would reach adulthood –according to humans- in less than a week and his celebration would take place in less time than that. Ellisarian was mostly elf and only part human, though his human traits seemed to dominate over his others. In appearance, one would call him human without knowing his lineage or knowing anything else about him. His flawless skin, startling eyes, and grace could be looked over as human qualities, but his speed, his growing archery skills, his communion with the forest, and his musical singing voice were only a few of the things that made him otherworldly. Ellisarian, however, was quite small for nearly being an adult in human years, and that was thanks to his Elvin heritage; because he was mostly Elvin, he would grow slower and live much longer than any normal human –but these things could be overlooked and called a delay in puberty. Even his ears were normal causing him to appear completely human if you were not sensitive to these types of subtleties.

"Don't bother your Ada while he works." Aragorn warned as he strode into the room, his forehead bathed in sweat. He went through a pile of papers on a different desk than Legolas sat diligently at.

Ellisarian gave up on Legolas when he did not even look up to his husband as he entered.

"Doila lle, amin mela." Legolas called out in Elvish. (Thank you, my love.)

Aragorn was at his side in an instant. He danced a peach in his hand in front of Legolas, causing the elf's eyes to come alight.

Finally, Legolas looked away from his work and gasped at the succulent morsel his lover dangled in front of him.

"You're wonderful." He chirped happily opening his hands to receive the treat.

"Only for a kiss." Aragorn bargained with a smirk.

Legolas smiled and quickly brought their mouths together before he snatched the fruit. "Thank you, love." He took a bite of it –savoring the taste slowly- before he continued looking through the papers and scratching notes on them with a random quill from the table.

Aragorn stood with the papers he had come to retrieve in hand. He glanced at his son, Ellisarian, who looked frantic with boredom, then turned back to his lover to whisper in his ear.

"Perhaps you could indulge our son before he tears apart the castle in boredom?"

"Of course, but not now." He told his husband, smiling bemusedly.

"Good." Aragorn kissed Legolas' smooth forehead gently, then walked back around the desk, swirling his arm around his son's shoulder and dragging him away from Legolas' den. "Leave your Ada alone for a time and I'm sure he'll join you for a walk more willingly."

Ellisarian sighed extravagantly. "Finally." He groaned. "What about this caravan of travelers I hear talk of?"

"They are a wealthy group of wanderers from the North, coming here to find someone special." Aragorn answered as he looked through the papers he carried.

"There is talk from the servants that this 'special person' will become betrothed to the caravan leader Angelus and share in his magical power." He paused for suspenseful reasons. "Supposedly he has traveled across Middle Earth dozens of times and gone to darker depths than even you, Father." He teased.

Aragorn smiled. "The image you have of me must be very great for even as a Ranger I have not been to all corners of Middle Earth, nor beyond, like this Angelus character supposedly has."

"I wonder if he is some old man with tired old stories to match his wrinkles." Ellisarian chuckled playfully.

"We shall soon see. They arrive today." Aragorn announced and Ellisarian stopped in his tracks.

He gasped, excited. "Really?"

"I would not lie about such a thing." He smirked. "I am looking forward to interrogating him myself. Such journeys and legends of this Angelus have been floating around since _I_ was a child."

"You were once a child?" Ellisarian quipped and earned himself a smack upside his head. He laughed along with his father. "I hear this Angelus baited the stars into loaning him the magic of their eternal light. He is said to have once been as fair as any elf." He chuckled at the absurdity of it. "As if a human could be so fair."

"I would not doubt it." Aragorn replied dangerously. "It has never been clearly stated what kind of man this Angelus fellow is. Only that he is a man. He could be elf, or human, or any mix of races." He smiled.

"I hear tale of…"

"You seem to hear a lot for someone that is so bored." Aragorn interrupted and Ellisarian blushed.

"Word gets around when you know where to listen." He merely replied. "What have _you_ heard?"

"Only that he has no equal and has never taken a lover." Aragorn answered. "Aside from all the exaggerated tales of his escapades."

"Really?" Ellisarian's mouth dropped slightly. "How can that be? Such a famous man with so many talents and magics has never bedded another?" He scoffed. "I don't believe it."

"They're here!" A woman cried out. The same servant turned into that corridor, arms flailing and a blush darkening her cheeks upon catching sight of them and realizing her folly. She calmed down everything except her blush when she saw the king and prince staring at her. "My apologies, Lord." She walked past them demurely, bowing obediently, but as soon as she was past them and around another corner, they could hear her running and shouting again. "Angelina! That man is here! He's _gorgeous_! Come and see!" They could hear her dashing down that corridor as fast as her skirts would allow.

Aragorn and Ellisarian exchanged a hysterical smile and continued walking.

"I suppose he's here." Aragorn stated a few paces later and Ellisarian lost his composure, bursting into laughs.

"Let's go see, too! Indulge, Father! Run with me!"

"You go." Aragorn laughed. "It would not be proper."

"Throw away your propriety for once and run with me." He grabbed his father's arm and they ran down the corridor, turned the corner and ran down another until they passed the veranda, open to the elements. They could clearly see the gates open from there and the caravan was unmistakable from their view. They were being stopped by practically the entire Land of Gondor. Even the guards were distracted by the entry of the caravan.

"Let's go meet them!" Aragorn laughed as he began walking toward the entrance hall of the castle.

"Will they even come up here?" Ellisarian wondered vaguely as he walked more excitedly beside his father.

"It would be rude not to." He told his son as they walked into the entry hall and found a flurry of people already there, surrounding a group of ten foreigners. "What is this?" Aragorn demanded, his voice commanding attention, but the group only glared at him sidelong.

All the servants and guards backed away from the foreigners so as not to anger their Lord.

"How did they get up here so quickly? The caravan is still stuck at the gate, barely inside." Ellisarian wondered into the dead silence of the room. Even though he had whispered it to his father, the caravan wanderers answered.

"I would have hoped that the document I sent ahead would have sufficiently alerted you to our coming, without announcing it to the entire city." A tall man ground out grumpily. He stood in the center of the little circle. His long brown hair was flaked with grays, splitting, and covered by a red bandana. He was covered in dirt and grease as he held Aragorn's gaze disobediently.

All glee had flown from Aragorn's eyes the moment this man had spoken. The king was about to invoke his wrath onto these people and especially this man –who he assumed was their leader- when another entered the room in a flurry.

The guards were alert immediately, but also confused at what they should do. Dozens of cries of admiring women flew in behind this black-haired man, as he slammed the door shut on them. He put his weight against the door and pushed. After a great effort at this he turned to the nearest ogling guards.

"Don't bloody stare! Help me, damn you! They're rampant!" He cried out and Ellisarian couldn't help but smile at this man's predicament.

Two guards immediately obliged and tried pushing on the door, but as soon as the good-looking man let go, the weight seemed to be too much for the guards and more had to come to help and lower a beam in it's holders to keep the doors closed.

Cries could still be heard from the other side of the doors. "Take me!" "I'll be your wife!" "He's gorgeous!" "Come back! We won't bite!" "Come here handsome! I'll take _good_ care of you!" "I love you!" "Come to us again! Please!" "Just a little feel!" "I want you, my love!"

The young man snorted in disgust.

The older man in the middle of the caravan group seemed about to chide this younger man, but he was immediately ignored. The young man walked gracefully over to Aragorn and bowed his head respectfully.

It was impossibly simple to see why so many women would be chasing after this man. His features were defined in his slim figure, with the hint of muscles under all those clothes, and his dominating attitude.

Aragorn would have expected this man to bow to one knee, but this was obviously a very proud man for he only bowed briefly at the waist before beginning to speak.

"I would like to apologize for any pigheaded remarks my men have offered you before I could intervene. They –by no means- speak as the voice of my caravan." He glared at the man that had spoken out to Aragorn so rudely. "Especially abstain from listening to him." He jutted his thumb at said man. "My name is Merrick and I thank you for allowing us here, though…" He frowned now, which still couldn't ruin his beauty. "I would've been more appreciative if the _entire_ city hadn't been alerted to our arrival. It does make it quite difficult to blend in and travel."

"I believe you would have had a slight problem with that anyway." Ellisarian commented with bemusement.

Merrick merely looked down on him, as if just noticing he was there. He smiled briefly, then turned back to Aragorn.

"I do apologize for that." Aragorn told him sincerely. "It is hard to keep something so amazing from getting out, though."

"Understandable." Merrick nodded several times, then considered his next words. "I hope you don't mind… we jumped your walls after we noticed the cough cough _problem_ with the front gate."

Ellisarian fought very hard to keep his laughs hidden, but with only moderate success.

"Of course." Aragorn chuckled himself. "I am Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, King of Gondor. This is my son Prince Ellisarian. I'm afraid my husband Legolas, is detained by a rather lethal stack of offending parchment, however."

Merrick laughed an erotic, ringing laughter, causing a ripple of pleasure to shoot through those present.

Merrick's hair was long, weaving, and blackened. It was tamed only by the strong black bandana that tried very hard to keep his hair back. Even with the cloth, it crept down his shoulders in braids of all kinds, with odd beads and ties littering it. A few tattoos of dense colors decorated his hands and face, but the rest of him was covered in what appeared to be pirate banter. He was by no means as young as Ellisarian. He was closer to Aragorn's age most likely, but his good looks didn't give any of his age away; it was the way he carried himself and spoke with knowledge of many things by only speaking a few phrases that made him seem wizened.

"Are you a pirate, Sir?" Ellisarian asked offhandedly as he gave this Merrick a once over. He regretted the words at once.

"Yes, of course. Want to hand me in for it?" He wondered proudly.

All eyes immediately turned to Aragorn.

"Are you really a pirate?" He asked, suddenly serious.

"I can not, nor will I, lie to the King of Gondor or any other for that matter. I am what I am and proud to be so; nothing will change that. I am Merrick, Captain of the Santeria, Leader of the Angelus Clan, and commander of the damn-near best pirates East of the oceans. If it makes any difference to you, my crew and I have yet to steal from Middle Earth, Sir." He saluted Aragorn rather lazily.

All the men standing behind Merrick were in complete faith of their captain apparently because not one of them batted an eye after he openly admitted to all above proclamations.

"You are from the Angelus _Clan_?" Aragorn asked sternly.

"Last of a dying clan, yes, Sir." Merrick nodded smiling. His teeth were much whiter than some of the other occupants of that room and it caught Ellisarian's attention immediately.

_So handsome._ He thought.

"You just said…" Aragorn began.

"I am one of the last pure Angelus Clan members, I'm afraid to say." He answered, stern-faced.

"Have you been around the world like the stories say? The stories made the leader out to be only one person not a clan of people. One person called Angelus." Ellisarian interrupted. He didn't want his father to prosecute these pirates like he did other pirates. At least not this one in front of him.

"It _is_ only one person. The Clan was named after Angelus who did travel the entire world and even under the seas and oceans and had more stories and scars to share than any man could know what to do with, and that man began to form his own little group of followers, but he wouldn't accept just anyone. Only the strongest of the best of the best would do. Soon it developed into a Clan and when he finally died a few short years ago, they named the Clan after him."

"And our young Lord Merrick is the only offspring of Master Angelus. He is to carry on the clan!" The first speaker piped in proudly.

Merrick's face fell as he turned to his onlookers with a sigh. He gestured for them to quiet down, then spoke fluently in a foreign language Ellisarian had never heard before, and he had been schooled in eight different languages himself.

"What language is that?" Ellisarian asked, quite interestedly, but Aragorn glared at him for interrupting so much and he stepped back into silence.

"My real father knew thirty languages before he died. I only know twelve if you include the common tongue." He smiled briefly. "I, however, can not name all of them. Perhaps I'll have an answer for you next time I come to Gondor, young Prince." He turned back to the king.

"Lle quena I'lambe tel' Eldalie?" (Do you speak Elvish?) Ellisarian spoke up again quickly. He wanted to test this man, but his heart was also beating more quickly by the moment as he looked more heatedly into this pirate's eyes. This meeting was exhilarating.

Children always think their fathers are the best at everything and a lot of children grow up wanting to be just like their fathers, so when those same children meet the person even their father looks up to, it makes one quite curious and excited.

"Mani uma lle quena?" (What did you say?) Merrick replied cunningly in Elvish without hesitation. He only looked at Ellisarian once more to playfully warn him to be good, then he looked back to Aragorn who had also paused to glare at his son. "Would it be too much of an inconvenience if I asked you to help locate some kind of tavern my men could house in for a few weeks."

"That can be arranged." Aragorn nodded as he gestured someone to do that for him.

Ellisarian was thrilled his father was allowing the subject of them being pirates to pass by this time.

"Would you like to stay in the castle?" He asked Merrick kindly.

Merrick was taken aback for a moment, but smiled and shook his head. "I respectfully decline. I sleep with my men. I consider myself no higher in the rankings than they are, no matter what they might say."

"Would it be rude to inquire as to why you've stopped in Gondor?" Aragorn wondered, letting his own curiosity get the better of him.

"I'd love to flatter you with talk of how I've heard of your rulings clear across the world, which I have, but the only reason I've come here is because a prophet told me that I would meet my future-betrothed here, so… who am I to disobey fate? According to her if I didn't come here, then my spouse would die. I, obviously, couldn't let that happen, so here I am."

This was shocking news to Ellisarian.

_The Leader of the Angelus Clan is looking for his mate._ He mused with a smile. _I wonder who the lucky devil could be? I don't think I would be terribly discouraged if it were me. This kind of thing is predestined, right? Ada and Father were predestined, maybe… maybe he and I are meant to be as well. Will my charm work on him, or will he be attracted to me nonetheless? If I don't try, will I lose him? He made a conscious decision to obey what that prophet said, perhaps if he had decided differently, then I never would have met him… or known love. Is this love? This feeling I have? It can't be. I've barely just met him. This feeling is wonderful though. I want more of it and the more I see him smile the more I feel it. Every time I make him smile it brings happiness to me. I feel proud to have his attention on me._

"The castle will host a celebration for my son within two moons and you are more than welcome to join us. It might make it easier to find that special someone when practically everyone will be gathered at the party." Aragorn suggested. Merrick thought about the problems that could accompany opening himself at this party, but Aragorn interrupted his thoughts. "It will be a costume party." He stated and Merrick's eyes lit up with options.

Ellisarian's heart stirred into a speedier pace. _Yes, come! I want to speak with you more. I am already yearning for a closeness with him. Who knew? Love at first sight?_ He smiled at the warm feeling he got when Merrick's smirk washed over him.

"Certainly. It sounds like fun. See ya, kid!" Merrick chuckled as he turned to leave with his men.

Ellisarian turned to his father as Merrick walked to the barricaded door.

"What does 'kid' mean?" He asked softly. Aragorn shrugged his shoulders.

"Part of another language." He guessed.

Ellisarian watched Merrick's retreating back as his men surrounded him in conference. They all wanted to state their opinions of what had happened and Ellisarian's sharper ears could hear snippets of what they thought of the king and prince.

The prince wanted desperately to know what Merrick had meant by 'kid'. Maybe it was some compliment. Maybe it was the equivalent of 'love'. That was hoping for too much though. _No, it couldn't be. It was just a goodbye._

Merrick and two others lifted the tabernacle away and the doors flew open. Ellisarian could see the tension mount in Merrick as he stepped out into the wave of admirers unwillingly.

_He doesn't like all the attention. Maybe he'll desire my attention like I desire his?_ He began to crave the sight of this new pirate, Merrick, who had stood before him only moments before. This would be a long few days before he could see him again. That is unless Merrick dropped by the castle to see him. _No, he won't come. That would be too suspicious. He's much more intelligent than to be so obvious._ How could he assume all these things after talking to this man for less than twenty minutes? _Stop assuming and find out for sure! Find out what he's really like instead of what you want him to be like!_

* * *

The day of the party…

Ellisarian had barely been able to wait for the party after he'd met Merrick. He wanted to find him and interrogate him on everything he'd ever done, but Legolas made sure he had plenty of lessons planned to keep him busy after he'd bothered him so much a few days before.

After his archery and riding lessons were through, he willingly sat in a language class, trying to learn all he could. This new Merrick man knew more languages than he did. Nearly twice as many. That didn't sit well with him. He wanted to know what 'kid' meant too, but his tutor didn't have the slightest clue; his tutor did suggest, though, that perhaps, the term 'kid' was slang for something, which would make it nearly impossible to figure out its origin. This angered Ellisarian.

His teacher was supposed to be a master of all languages, but he didn't even know from which one 'kid' originated.

All his teachers and even his parents began to notice an obsession developing. The young elf would charge around the castle asking anyone and everyone if they knew anything about Merrick and, of course, there were still the legends he heard everywhere he went, but no indication if they were at all exaggerated. The ones pertaining to his beauty were obviously not over-spoken-for, but what about the others?

After he was set free from his lessons he rushed off to his chambers to ready himself for the party.

He spent an hour soaking in his bathing tub to engrain the smell of herbal soap on his skin, and then reluctantly exited the tub to dress.

He dressed in his best silken leggings and a green embroidered frock coat with short white gloves and his mask, of course, with feathers of different colors and two holes for his eyes.

He brushed his silky blonde hair before pulling it back into a ribbon, then the mask went on. He had braids in his hair his Ada had braided for him and told him they meant he was a training prince. He was proud of the braids, but there was no one to admire them or even acknowledge them except for his Ada and father.

He wanted a companion dearly, but there was no one in the kingdom that didn't know he was the Prince and act like it. They would play him for his kindness and not really be his friends. He wanted a friend so badly, but his heart told him he wanted something more from _someone_.

* * *

Ellisarian saw all the caravan dwellers at the party. All of them except…

"Father?" Ellisarian asked as he finally found his father sitting with his Ada on their thrones.

"Yes." Aragorn replied under a mask of all red and brown feathers that sparkled madly. His golden circlet sparkling from around his deep brown hair, speckled with only a few aging hairs. He wore all white aside from that and a blue cloak.

Legolas wore all green –it being his favorite color- as he also looked at their son.

"Have you seen Merrick yet?" He asked desperately.

"No." Aragorn replied, a bit sad to see his son in such distress. It was becoming more and more frequent.

"Merrick?" Legolas spoke. "Is that the man you were telling me about? The pirate?" He inquired.

"Yes." Aragorn nodded.

"What pirate?" A grumpy voice snapped, causing all three men to turn and see a man staring up at them with a frown engraved in his face.

He wore all black over his slim body, but what was startling about this man was that behind his plain black mask was a luscious spill of ebony curls that shined in the candle light beautifully.

Ellisarian's breath was caught in his throat as he gazed down at this _man_. He wore a black waist coat and breeches along with black knee-high boots, a black hat with a long black quill shooting back, a plain black mask, and black leather gloves. His face was a golden tan –of what they could see- and looked unbearably smooth. He screamed nobility and Ellisarian was worried for a moment that they had given away Merrick's piracy secret to someone that might insist something be done about it. This man had an air about him though that told Ellisarian it was alright, and he always trusted his instincts. He suddenly wondered if it was just his coming of age that was making him attracted to these men. First Merrick, now this enchanting fellow… who next?

"What is your name, stranger?" Legolas demanded after he looked this man over with a frown.

_Too much black._ Legolas thought.

"Ah, you must be the King's Consort." He pulled the mask down to reveal bright green eyes.

"Merrick?!" Both Aragorn and Ellisarian collectively gasped and Legolas glanced at them, then back at this man. He looked nothing like the description he had received from his husband, but judging by the shocked looks on his husband and son's faces, Merrick obviously hadn't looked like this before.

Merrick put a gloved finger to his pursed pink and slightly chapped lips, and shushed them softly with a gentle smile so as not to offend the royal family.

"My Lord, please, the party has been calm so far and I would like to keep it as such." He half-begged with a laugh.

Aragorn couldn't keep the shock from his eyes and Ellisarian was extremely pleased about the change from pirate to nobility. No more braids of beads, or ragged clothing. Ellisarian was quite relieved he wasn't becoming attracted to everything that moved… just Merrick, no matter how disguised he was.

"You clean up very nicely." Aragorn commented with approval.

"Thank you, my Lord." Merrick nodded his thanks, then turned to Ellisarian. "Merry birth day, young Prince and congratulations!" He clapped a few times gently, but when people started to look over to him and begin to stare he raised his mask again and bowed once, a farewell.

"Tampa!" (Wait!) Ellisarian exclaimed, then composed himself as Merrick turned back to him for explanation. "Lle merna salk khila amin?!" (Do you wish to dance with me?!) Ellisarian asked and instantly a dozen other admirers looked on from his outburst. Some understanding his Elvish question. Others were merely curious of their prince.

Legolas and Aragorn's eyes widened as their bold son asked this. They exchanged a glance and immediately began to suspect their son was developing a great fondness for this man he hardly knew.

Merrick didn't look at the king and his consort for acceptance, he merely gazed into Ellisarian's eyes for a long time, then nodded and spun his cloak over his shoulder as he extended his hand to Ellisarian.

Ellisarian's blood rose slightly to his face, but he reached out and took the hand of this man happily.

Looks of jealousy followed the couple as Merrick pulled Ellisarian closer, guiding him farther from the throne. There was a slight pause near the band then the music changed to a lively step.

The party visitors all had watched Ellisarian grow up, more or less and noted his beauty as a great one, but this newcomer was a more exotic beauty, which caused them to all become jealous when both of the most beautiful –and available- bachelors in Gondor were occupied only with each other.

Ellisarian could not ask for a better dance partner. Merrick freely led the dance to the middle of the room and everyone watched as they spun and countered each other's movements perfectly. It seemed the great hall had fallen into complete silence while the two danced and Ellisarian couldn't have cared less.

"You dance beautifully." Merrick commented and he dipped Ellisarian back cautiously –not knowing if the prince would object, but then again he had asked for the dance and allowed him to lead.

"Thank you, but you're the one leading, not me." He stated with a smirk. "Have you taken lessons?"

"You tend to learn all types of dances on Islandur." He chuckled at the memory, their clothes swishing this way and that as they moved at a provocative pace.

"Where's that?" Ellisarian asked, suddenly intrigued.

"On the far side of the ocean. It's a floating land that tends to move quite often. It can only be found by those that already know of its presence and patterns –rarely by any other. My father took me there when I was younger. I've just recently returned for a visit and found quite the array of dancers to learn all sorts of things from." He chuckled.

"Your father?" Ellisarian repeated. "May I speak without you becoming upset?"

Merrick pondered that thoughtfully. "I promise to hold my temper." He replied and Ellisarian blurted out what he'd been thinking of ever since his conversation with his father.

"I've heard tale that your father had never bedded another. How… whom did he conceive you with?" He looked worriedly into Merrick's eyes as the dance came to a close. Merrick's eyes were clouded and unreadable.

"An elf." He growled softly and Ellisarian felt his heart chill with the cold and hateful way Merrick spoke those words about the race of elves.

"What…?" He didn't get to ask why Merrick seemed to hate elves so much, because the dance was done and now Merrick released him from the warm embrace they'd been in.

"Thank you for the dance, Prince." He bowed his head respectfully. "I hope you enjoy your adulthood." He was about to turn away, but Ellisarian grabbed his arm and tugged him much closer until he was kissing his cheek.

"No, thank _you_." He remained close to Merrick gazing into his mesmerizing emerald-green eyes. Those eyes soften upon looking directly back into Ellisarian's.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have done that." Merrick told him with a small frown.

Ellisarian felt his heart break. "I… um…" He released Merrick stiffly.

Merrick leaned closer for a moment while casually slipping something into his hand.

"Act casual." He murmured, barely moving his lips at all.

Ellisarian's hopes leapt to his throat in a knot as Merrick turned away, his cloak swirling behind him in a great flurry.

As he left and the music continued at a calmer rate, though not many moved. Had their prince just been rejected by the most famous man currently in Middle Earth?

Ellisarian turned and walked from the room before anyone could follow him. He left in a different direction than Merrick with a blank look upon his face.

Aragorn was about to rise and go after his son, but Legolas gently pushed him back down and left after their son instead.

As soon as Ellisarian was through the huge wooden doors he gasped with glee and opened the note immediately. He pulled the mask from his face to be able to see the scrawling handwriting more clearly.

It simply said: _Meet me on the garden balcony, my Prince._

Had he concocted this note before the ball had even begun? Or was this some grand form of magic? He didn't know, but he wanted to find out so he ran as fast as his Elvin legs would carry him to the corridor exposed to the garden.

* * *

Legolas smiled as he watched his son run along the hall. He hadn't even heard Legolas call out his name.

_This man must be of great importance if his instincts would rather be tantalized by this pirate and he can not feel me come up behind him._ He turned away, a bit uneasily. He did not wish to merely turn away now, and leave his son and this pirate alone wherever it was they were meeting.

"We shall see what becomes of this." He told himself, while forcefully restraining his person from dashing off to protect his only son. "He is a man now. He can make decisions for himself."

_We shall soon see whether those decisions are smart ones or otherwise._

* * *

_He seemed to hate elves? Is that just his mother or is it all elves? Do I even have a chance with him or am I running after his shadow? Is he just going to tell me off more politely out here or…?_

His breath caught in his throat mid-thought as he came to the corridor and saw Merrick in all his beauty. He had removed the hat, mask, cloak, and waist coat, and now just stood there gazing out into the garden. The moon's milky beauty gleamed down onto Merrick's head, creating a halo of light.

_A dark angel._ The prince imagined. Merrick leaned on the banister, his sleek body bent at the waist. A white silk shirt covered his abdomen –a few ties loosened to allow air into his shirt. His raven curls swirled over his shoulders as he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed with relief. Finally, he turned to Ellisarian and smiled.

"It's impolite to stare." He stated with a tease in his voice and Ellisarian came to his senses and shut his mouth quickly.

"You're amazing." He whispered, more to himself than to Merrick.

"Thank you." He gazed out at the moon. "The sky is bright tonight. Perhaps the angels heard of your party and decided to have a closer look." He quipped and the young prince laughed.

"Yes, I suppose." He paused. "Can you hear the stars? Do they speak to you?"

"The stars only speak to the insane ones." Merrick replied coolly.

"And you're not insane?"

"I never said that." Merrick told him seriously. "I'm certifiably annoying and with some of the cockamamie plans I cook up, most of my men don't doubt my insanity, but they follow me nonetheless. I'm not all that special. If you had traveled as much as I, then you would be just as special because no other from Middle Earth has taken the initiative without a map and distinct definition of what's out there. My father and I are only famous because he's an old coot who was so insane, all he needed was a few other people as insane as he was to crew a ship and he took off. I've seen things no human would ever want to see." He smiled keenly. "Certainly not the Prince of Men."

Ellisarian felt that knot rising in his chest again.

"Why did you speak so cruelly of your mother before?" He asked with a quiver in his voice.

Merrick scowled. "I detest elves." He snapped and turned away from the garden to lean his back against the banister.

"But you are part elf. Do you hate yourself?" Ellisarian asked, with a weak laugh.

"Yes." Merrick growled truthfully, his gaze on his boots, his brow furrowed.

"Don't hate yourself!" Ellisarian cried out desperately and without thought.

"Is there something more you wanted to say to me?" Merrick asked without looking the prince in the eyes.

"Would you care to come to an archery practice here tomorrow? I have no one who can match my skills." He joked with a smile, trying to lighten the mood and bring those treacherous and powerful eyes back to his once again.

"I'm not the best with a bow, I'm afraid." Merrick told him with a glare as a warning. Ellisarian ignored it.

"Come anyway. I'd enjoy the company." He laughed.

"Only if we can sword fight afterward." He countered, the ends of his mouth curving into a grin.

"Done."

They both smiled and Merrick gathered his things and placed his hat firmly on his head before leaving with a smile and a small bow.

It seemed the pirate would much rather the lack of engrossing clothes rather than the opposite. Though the entire costume had adorned Merrick well, Ellisarian could plainly tell that the pirate was more at ease and more beautiful in his lack of formal dress.

He smiled at the thoughts that ran through his head of Merrick in a few less articles of clothing than he was currently wearing, but he shook his head free of those things and returned to his celebration.

* * *

The following day was boring until the afternoon when Merrick finally showed up. He had of course decided to come over the wall instead of using a door, but Ellisarian only laughed when he saw him jump down into the courtyard.

"You don't appear to appreciate the true use of a door." He quipped and Merrick snickered but said nothing.

Ellisarian abruptly noticed the fine bow he had slung over his back and the long raggedy scabbard at his waist.

"Archery first, eh?" The prince asked.

"Can you shoot perched on a horse?" Merrick asked calmly.

"I've only tried a few times, but my aim isn't very far off from when I stand still on ground." He answered.

"Very good. Let's see then." He crossed his arms and stood back to see the target that was set up about fifty feet from the prince. The first shot was less than an inch off being dead center.

"Impressive." Merrick smiled and watched as Ellisarian littered the center of the target with several more arrows before he started to hit his old arrows.

Before Ellisarian could retrieve his arrows, however, Merrick put a hand to his shoulder.

"Allow me to fill in the gaps as best I can." He smiled warmly and Ellisarian backed up, obviously doubting Merrick could hit any more targets with the small amount of space he had left him. He wasn't quite sure that even if there were no arrows there, that Merrick could even get a bull's eye.

Merrick pulled his bow string taut with a black feathered arrow. What caught the youth's interest first was the style of arrows Merrick used. A small extremely sharp arrowhead was placed on the end, but it was not a normal stone, nor normal carving of stone. It looked like black granite that had been polished smooth. It was definitely a skill very few people had the ability to master. Did Merrick make all of his own arrows? And his hide-quiver was full too. _No, he looks rich. He could have had those made for him easily with all his travels, but what does he do when he runs out of arrows? Is he just using these foreign-made arrows to impress me?_ It was working.

Before Merrick could continue Ellisarian interrupted with is wonders. Merrick answered easily.

"I make my own arrows." He stated with a smile and Ellisarian immediately believed him. It was possible. "My father insisted I learn how to make my own arrows and they must be of our homeland. A much harder task, considering the time it takes to find the right stones for the arrowheads." He smirked at Ellisarian's awed expression. "You're awfully easy to impress, Prince. Can't you make your own arrows?"

"Of course I can, but nothing so beautiful or impressive." He admitted.

"Who taught you to make your own arrows?"

"My…" He was about to say 'Ada', but stopped himself. "My father." He answered, telling a half-truth.

_A half-truth is a whole lie._ He reminded himself begrudgingly.

Merrick nodded knowingly. He knew Ellisarian was lying, but it didn't really matter, did it? It nagged at him that this very nice youth would lie to him after he seemed to worship him so much, but… oh well.

_How could Merrick be bad at archery when he makes his own arrows?_ Ellisarian thought idly.

Merrick pulled the arrow taut again and felt the soreness in his arms jump back to his muscles as he did so. That battle they'd joined in on before arriving had taken a lot out of him. He had been tackled from behind with a staff that had dug into his arm, but thankfully it hadn't been his fighting arm. It had been a band of thieving scavengers that they had disbanded with a slight difficulty considering their weariness.

Ellisarian couldn't help himself from watching Merrick's stance. His shirt was quite a bit more fitting than the night before and he could see Merrick's muscles ripple and shiver as he pulled the arrow.

_Beautiful._ He thought, then the arrow snapped from Merrick's hand and found a home tightly between two of Ellisarian's in the eye of the target. Ellisarian's mouth dropped. He could never have hit that mark on his first try. It had been the one he had last missed.

"I thought you said you weren't very good at archery." Ellisarian commented dryly after Merrick had filled in seven other gaps in the same manner.

"I'm not." Merrick smirked sidelong at Ellisarian as he pulled another arrow taut. "But you put the target so close." He whined playfully and Ellisarian laughed heartily as yet another arrow found a home between three of his. There was no space left for the target and they had each run out of arrows in their quivers. "Now, swords." He laughed as they both approached the target to get their arrows back.

"Lle naa curucuar." (You are a skillful Bowman.) Merrick told the youth with a small smile.

"Doila lle." (Thank you.) Ellisarian laughed happily at the compliment. He felt a slight blush begin to sting his cheeks.

"We shall soon see if you fare as well with a sword." Merrick stated with a smirk.

"You intend to use that old thing?" Ellisarian wondered. He referred to the old scabbard that still clung to Merrick's thin waistline.

"Yes, of course."

Ellisarian went to pull one of Merrick's arrows out first, but it wouldn't come. When Merrick finally put a hand on his shoulder to stop his attempts, the prince stepped reluctantly back. Merrick grabbed the neck of the arrow with his fist and yanked abruptly and harshly. A chunk of the target and several other arrows came out with the arrow and Merrick picked it clean, then dropped it back into his quiver.

"The arrows are designed to go in smoothly and come not come out without taking a piece of the enemy with it."

"Savage." Ellisarian spoke without thinking about how Merrick might react, but he just smiled.

"That's how I was taught to behave and fight. It's who I am, I'm afraid." His smile was warm. "Now, how about that sword play you promised?"

"We have better swords you could use." Ellisarian offered –referring to the tattered state Merrick's quiver was in- after his arrows were back in his quiver.

"I'll be fine." Merrick lowered his ivory colored bow to the ground along with his quiver and drew his long sword, but it wasn't old and weathered as Ellisarian had originally perceived. It shined like the sun with silver. Designs of a dragon danced up the length of it and the hilt was long enough for only one hand, but comfortably so. It was the sword of a king.

Ellisarian felt embarrassed to have been offering this man swords that in no way equaled up in quality to the one he owned.

"Where did you get that sword?" Ellisarian asked stepping closer to inspect it. It was definitely not Elvin made, but it looked beautiful.

"It was my father's." Merrick scowled, speaking simply as if to close the discussion at that.

Ellisarian nodded and pulled out his own sword which was decorated with leaves and vines. He had received it as a gift of adulthood from his father the previous night, and even though he loved the new weapon, he envied Merrick. He would not inherit his own father's sword until he was ready to be king, but Merrick was no king. He was a freelanced leader and a damn good one according to everyone in Middle Earth.

He, himself, would be bound to his duties to produce an heir and be king until that heir was ready to succeed the throne. He felt depressed for a moment, that he could not be anything or truly be himself until his sentence as king was through and his life along with it.

"How long have you had that?" Merrick asked inspecting the sword as well. He took the tip between his finger and thumb, and turned it over to see both sides, then flicked it roughly with his finger nail and rubbed his finger along the edge. It cut his finger and Ellisarian became worried, but Merrick just sucked at his thumb adorably and the bleeding stopped quickly.

"A day." He answered hoarsely. His eyes were transfixed on Merrick's thumb in his mouth.

"Would you like to use a different sword? Can you handle that one?"

"I can handle any sword." Ellisarian replied curtly.

"I didn't mean to wound your pride, Prince. I merely wanted you to be comfortable with your weapon. I have no doubt your skills are excellent."

The compliment sent shivers up his spine. "Thank you." He replied with a blush. "I'll do fine with this though."

Merrick looked skeptical. The prince held the sword with a tighter grip as if it were heavier than any he'd had before. He would need practice with it for a few days before being a formidable opponent.

"A compromise." Merrick reasoned.

"What compromise?"

"If I put you in check first, then you have to change swords."

"What is check?" Ellisarian wondered and before he could blink Merrick had knocked his sword out of his hand and Merrick's sword lay across his throat, ready to kill him, but without touching his skin.

"This is check." Merrick told him, his breath doing wonders for Ellisarian's body response. "You accept?"

Ellisarian didn't trust his voice not to quiver with anticipation. He nodded. It would probably be a smarter idea to use a lighter sword he was used to rather than use one he hadn't ever used, that weighed twice as much. He picked up his sword and bowed his head respectfully to Merrick. His opponent copied his motion, then charged him with unimaginable grace.

The prince threw up his sword to block the onslaught, but Merrick dodged it all together and went under the blow to again draw his sword to Ellisarian's throat, effectively stopping his every movement altogether.

"Check."

"How do you expect this to last very long?" The prince wondered once his surprise had filtered away.

"Would you expect me to show anything less than all I have? That would be cheating you the experience and knowledge of how to counter a person like me. I deliver quick and fatal blows. I don't strike to wound, I strike to kill and you might have to do the same some day. Learn to counter me. Now, I've put you in check. Throw down your sword."

Ellisarian complied.

"Pick up another."

Again, the young prince complied, then walked back in front of Merrick. This sword was for a regular soldier. Shorter, plain metal, and a wrapped handle. The edge was far from being sharp, but they weren't aiming to kill each other so it didn't matter.

"Delaying in the kill or waiting while you question your enemy can be dangerous. It gives them time to think of any dirty trick they can, to get out from under your power and hurt you; sometimes fatally. I have a scar for every mistake I've made and intend to never make another. Learn from my mishaps."

Ellisarian nodded in understanding. He didn't want to have to kill anyone, but he understood Merrick's reasoning.

"Come at me."

The prince debated how he would do this before he attacked. Merrick was obviously the better swordsman here, so he had to think of something that Merrick wouldn't think of.

He went for a full frontal assault followed by a fake and a leaping overhead swing. He was relying heavily on his Elvin speed to enhance his accuracy and illusion or at least stun Merrick for the moment he needed.

Merrick casually watched him try and fake him out. It was like searching for a child and finding a giggling bulge behind a curtain that had been the child's attempt at hiding. Simple. Foreseeable. Easily detectable.

_For such a prized prince he has little skill with a sword. I've heard of King Aragorn being a spectacular swordsman. He must get this weakness from his mother._ He sighed, seeing Ellisarian's intent rather quickly, pivoting his foot, and blocking it without needing to reinforce his sword with a second hand. He preferred to be a one-handed swordsman, but if necessary he would use both.

"Have you been schooled by a teacher or did your father teach you to use a sword?" He asked.

"My father taught me, but he doesn't have enough free time to practice much with me so he has the guards practice with me."

"Tactless." Merrick growled and stepped away.

"What?" Ellisarian snapped grumpily. _Is he implying anything?_

"Don't take this the wrong way, but guards are tactless mostly. You need a proper teacher." Merrick sighed and scratched his scalp, then ran his fingers through his hair to smooth it away from his eyes. "I suppose I could teach you some sword tactics, but it will be of my land, not yours. Others will not recognize how you fight and… perhaps I shouldn't." He interrupted himself after a moment of thought. "I doubt your kingdom would appreciate a future king who fights mercilessly, and that's how I fight."

Ellisarian was still wrapped up in the part where Merrick wanted to teach him. They would be around each other constantly and in… close contact.

"I want you to teach me." He stated abruptly and with conviction.

"Very well." Merrick nodded after a while and looked up to the sky. "I must be off now, but I'll return sometime tomorrow to set up a schedule with you for when we can work together." He paused with a sigh. "Perhaps next time we train with our bows you could move the target back another ten yards." He laughed and smiled, causing Ellisarian to do the same.

"That's fine." Ellisarian told him excitedly.

"Tomorrow then." Merrick nodded smiling.

Ellisarian wanted to say more to Merrick, but he seemed to be very preoccupied with some important priority. He gathered his bow and sheathed his sword, then scaled the courtyard walls as if he were flying up them.

When Merrick was out of sight Ellisarian let his body go slack, leaning against a nearby oak. He moved around the tree so he was out of sight of any watchers and started smiling maniacally. "He's coming back tomorrow." He stated softly and felt his heart give a gentle flutter against the bones that held it in place.

Upon composing himself again and gathering his bow and sword to him, he entered the castle. Though he could store his bow and sword with the others, he chose to keep them close to himself in his rooms.

He entered the castle and promptly ran into Legolas.

"Ho, Ellisarian!" Legolas greeted smiling happily. "How was your practice?"

"Merrick joined me for my practice and he's coming back tomorrow so he can set up a schedule with me to train me in tactics for fighting." His smile went from ear to ear.

"You sound proud of this." Legolas replied frowning at his son. Their gaze was level in height so he couldn't look down to him like he did when his son was younger.

"I am." Ellisarian replied with a worrying frown. "Why shouldn't I be?"

"I watched him fight with you for a short time." Legolas stated, still with a frown. "He fights ruthlessly." Legolas told him. "I don't want him teaching you to fight like that. You should fight with mercy and care."

"Will you teach me, Ada?" Ellisarian asked angrily. "You and Father are always busy with the kingdom, or with foreign affairs! You're always busy with everything and everyone except for your son! I have to learn from _someone_ and the guards are obviously no challenge to me, but if you watched us fight very long you must have realized –because it was so obvious- that he is far better at fighting than _any_ of our guards!" He shouted.

"Drop your voice, Ellisarian!" Legolas warned in a hushed voice and glared at his son. "I am not trying to deprive you the opportunity to train with someone so… advanced, but he is a killer. It is apparent! The way he moves and acts…! He is a born killer and I don't want him teaching you how…"

"TAMPA!" (Stop!) Ellisarian hollered, his fists clenched. Legolas' voice dropped to silence. "You accuse him of being a killer, but what do you think you were, Ada? You and Father fought in the battle of Helm's Deep against the Uruk-hai and he was a Ranger before he even had anything to do with the Ring! You've both killed before and you call Merrick a killer! You're being hypocritical! How can you be so sure he hasn't killed for just as good of reasons as you and Father have?!"

"And how can you be so sure he has?!" Legolas snapped coldly, his eyes narrowed in fury.

"What is going on here?!" Aragorn demanded, with a scowl as he approached the two blondes from behind Legolas. The corridors were filled with curious servants and peeping heads from behind doors that were too afraid to come out.

Ellisarian glared at his Ada, but said nothing.

Legolas' eyes found the floor instead of his husband's.

"You were both so loud I heard your argument from three corridors over. Now tell me what is going on?" He asked more calmly.

"Merrick promised to teach me swordsman techniques and Ada is furious that I agreed. He doesn't want Merrick to teach me because he thinks Merrick has killed before, so I loudly pointed out that both of you have killed before as well so why is he making such a fuss about it?" Ellisarian repeated with a great force of anger behind it.

"Calm yourself, Ellisarian." Aragorn soothed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I will converse with Legolas then come and get you when we've come up with a solution to this problem." He smiled at his son and the young prince glared at his Ada once more with scorn before storming off in the direction of his chambers again.

Aragorn gently guided Legolas to their rooms after demanding everyone get back to work.

They walked in silence. The only action they made other than their walking was an unconscious act by Aragorn –his thumb gently stroking the bend of his husband's neck as they walked, as if to soothe his fury without words, but it did not mean he was not angry himself –only that he wanted Legolas to be more tranquil.

When they finally entered their chambers Legolas growled and turned to Aragorn who frowned thoughtfully.

"You did not see that man fight as I did!" Legolas defended immediately; frustration erupting into an agitated outburst.

"Hush! Calm, my love!" Aragorn embraced him softly and held him tight. "I am not against you, but Ellisarian has a point. What can it harm to have him learn from this man of many travels?"

"He could teach him all the wrong things. We want our son to grow up a certain way and with morals!"

"Hush!" Aragorn soothed his hair and kissed his lips briefly. "Now, this really isn't the issue, is it?" He smiled warmly down on his husband. "Now tell me what's really bothering you about this warrior."

Legolas finally broke down and began to let out his frustrations. "You must realize our son has developed a fondness for this man!"

Aragorn laughed at this. "Of course." He answered laughing still. "Is that what is getting under your skin? He's falling in love and you're getting flustered." He smiled a big white smile.

"He's too young!" Legolas declared.

"Perhaps to you he is too young for such things because you were far older when you met me, but humans tend to find love quickly. Have faith, my love! I would never let anything happen to our son. I am keeping my eye on him. Fear not." He smiled reassuringly and Legolas couldn't disagree with that big smirk.

"Alright. I trust you." He stated and leaned into Aragorn's warmth against his chest. "That does _not_ mean I have to be happy about it."

* * *

"I can't believe Ada would say such things!" He yelled as soon as his door was closed. "I know he's wrong about Merrick… and I'll prove it." He glared at his window. "I will find Merrick and his caravan and ask for a private conference to find out for sure so Ada can surprise me with nothing and I can make a good defense for Merrick."

After he'd already grabbed his cloak and made it to his balcony, he realized he didn't know if Merrick had actually gone back to the Prowling Wolf. (The tavern he'd found out the caravan was staying.)

He looked to the sky.

"It's still early, but he'll have to make it back there eventually. I'll be quick about this." For a moment he debated whether he should leave a note describing where he was going. Would he get in more trouble if his Ada knew where he was and could come after him, or would it be worse to leave without writing a note?

He decided to just leave so he couldn't be interrupted. The jump from his room to the ground wasn't too bad. His elf blood made it easy for him to climb the trees without any problems, but he never realized what a drop it was on the other side of the courtyard wall. After gulping down he made the jump.

* * *

"Oh! Merrick!"

_Good Lord! Why do they always hone in on me?_ He groaned audibly as yet another bimbo grabbed onto his arm and sat in his lap as he tried vainly to play a card game in the tavern they stayed in.

"My sister and I were wondering if you wanted any company in your bed tonight?" She played with his shirt ties as she spoke in what she assumed was a sexy drawl.

He glanced up at her only to be disappointed again. No spark.

She was a redhead with dark blue eyes and large plump breasts. He scowled folding up his cards and throwing them down as he covered his face with his hands.

The five other men he played with saw his predicament and stood.

His right-hand man Astrolle grabbed the woman roughly by her arm, drawing a loud cry from her and dragging her out the door with a quick shove, then shutting the door with a bang and locking it.

He dusted his hands off and went to sit on Merrick's left again.

"Thank you, Astrolle." Merrick sighed exasperatedly.

"Don't you even want to try it with them?" Paud asked from across the table. "There are plenty of gorgeous women here, Merrick!" He cried out leaning forward and tossing his cards onto the table as well.

"Watch your mouth!" Astrolle yelled, scowling at one of his lieutenants.

Paud bowed his head, still frowning. "Permission to speak freely, Lord Merrick?" He asked.

Merrick growled and ran his fingers through his hair. "Granted."

"Why? Just tell us what you want and we can help you find it… her… him… anyone! We just want to see you happy, Sir!" Paud shouted and the rest of the table kept their eyes on Merrick's weary form.

"How am I supposed to know what I want, Paud?! Tell me if you know something I don't! I'd love the information, but I am just as blind with this as you all! I was told by an old hag of a prophet that I am supposed to go to Gondor and find my 'true love' before that person dies! If you have something to share with the rest of us, please, speak, but otherwise deal the damn cards and leave me to my toils."

Paud pulled all the cards to him sadly and dealt them out again.

Merrick leaned back in the chair and relaxed his arm leisurely over the back of the chair as he scanned the room for any more future attacks by more whores.

When he looked by the window he saw the prince walk by promptly and his eyebrows rose. It had started raining ages ago, what was the prince doing out in this?

A knock came to the door and Astrolle was about to go over and tell whomever it was off, but Merrick gently put a hand on his shoulder to stay him as he got up, surprising them all.

He silently walked to the door and opened it before the barkeep could do so.

Ellisarian appeared frightened and startled to see him standing there, but also relieved. He was soaked to the bone. Merrick's eyes softened as he watched the youth slouch.

"I've found you." He murmured and fell forward onto Merrick who caught him easily. He lifted the youth off the ground and found him surprisingly light.

"Who's that?" Astrolle demanded worriedly.

"What's going on?" Paud asked quickly as they all surveyed the young man in their Lord's arms.

"The prince." Merrick whispered into the ear of his second in command. Astrolle was astonished, his eyes wide, but he regained his composure. He ordered his men to stay put as he walked in front of Merrick to his room. He opened the door and allowed Merrick to enter first with the youth. After the door was shut, Astrolle spoke.

"What's he doing here?" Astrolle demanded, his voice full of anxiety.

Merrick laid him on his bed and began to pull off his sopping wet clothes.

"I have no idea. All he said was 'I've found you'. Why he needed to find me, I haven't the faintest." He sighed. "Find some of my clothes for him." He ordered and Astrolle complied easily.

As Merrick undressed the prince he felt something spark inside of himself.

_No! It can't be him. I felt it before too, but… No! It can't be the Prince of Men, can it? So smooth, so pale._ He thought as Ellisarian's chest presented itself, then he noticed a necklace around the prince's neck. He held it in his hand. _This was made by an elf._ He noticed and looked back into Ellisarian's face. _Perhaps he likes Elvin made things._ He compromised and took a towel to his hair. _Braids too?_ This was becoming suspicious. Was there an elf in the castle Ellisarian had taken a liking to and now wanted to become? Was this just in celebration of his birth day?

He continued to dry the rest of the prince, then with Astrolle's help he dressed him in his breeches and wool shirt.

As he pulled the covers over the youth, Merrick felt something tug at his shirt sleeve and found it was the fair hand of the prince. His eyes were slightly open and fixed on Merrick who was now standing up straight.

"What did you come here for?" Merrick demanded flatly.

"I had to talk to you." Ellisarian coughed abruptly and smiled adorably up at Merrick, which melted his icy exterior.

"Leave us." Merrick ordered and Astrolle bowed his head and left silently. "What is it you wanted of me?"

"My parents… said you were a killer." He admitted softly, a frown worrying his face.

"I am." Merrick affirmed with a nod and sat in a chair beside the bed.

This only seemed to worry the prince more. "But… why? Why did you kill people?"

He breathed in and sighed heavily. "War, bandits, assassins, random battles…" He listed. "I told you before I let you agree to our training sessions that I always went in for the kill and you expressed that you understood this." He stated leaning back and Ellisarian nodded.

"True. I then told my parents and… one of them wasn't pleased. My father's trying to calm him now." He whispered sadly.

"They don't know you're here, do they?" Merrick asked in a growl and the youth shook his head. "Blast! They're going to blame me!" He yelled frustrated.

"Don't be angry!" Ellisarian begged as he grabbed blindly for Merrick's hand and held it tight. "I'm sorry." He murmured with tears in his eyes and Merrick rumpled up his own hair roughly, then sighed all his fury away.

"I'm not." He groaned. "Go back to sleep." He whispered and Ellisarian smiled and nodded.

The young prince's temperature caused trouble to his dreams as he tossed and turned fearfully. What would have happened if he had been honest with Merrick that night when they were both on the balcony overlooking the gardens?

_Out on a corridor exposed to the garden…_

"_Looks shouldn't base a persons' opinion of me." Merrick drawled. "I suspected you only had an interest in me for such reasons, that's why I tried not to take an interest in you, but…" He looked Ellisarian over. "Don't be one of them. Don't be one of the ones that thinks I'm perfect because of my long black hair and green eyes." He leaned back and cracked his back with a sigh of relief. "I don't even know why I'm having this conversation. I don't like men." He growled wiping his brow._

_Ellisarian's eyes narrowed with sadness, but he wouldn't let his emotions control himself. "Why do you hate elves?" He asked sternly._

"_Why does it matter?" Merrick snapped angrily and turned away quickly, then turned back as if he had just realized something. "You're hiding something from me!" He paused leaning closer to Ellisarian. "Tell me." Merrick whispered into his ear. Ellisarian felt an inner struggle burning his inside up. "Tell me!" He urged. "Come on." It was too much. He wanted to say it, but he… "TELL ME!"_

"_I have an Ada!" He regretted the words as soon as they had left his lips. He had opened up his body to the daggers of Merrick's sharp tongue. Merrick, who hated all elves for whatever reason._

_Merrick's gaze shot to his. "The King's Consort… is blood related to you? He's… an elf though…"_

"_I have more elf blood in me than human." Ellisarian admitted. "My father, the king, is half elf. What did you think I was?"_

"_I thought your father had conceived a child with a woman, then married Legolas." He replied quickly and a frown formed across his face. "Apparently I was mistaken." He picked up his hat and put it on, before grabbing all his other belongings and throwing them over his arm as he bowed his head slightly to the prince. "Merry birth day, Prince." He ground out before striding away._

_Ellisarian didn't know what to say. His mouth gaped open as Merrick strode past him. His heart broke with each step that man took to further the distance between them and soon the steps became great strides._

"_Come back." He murmured feebly to himself after he could no longer see Merrick. He felt a painful pang in his heart for the man of his fate to return._

"_Oh, Ellisarian." A voice whispered gently and Ellisarian looked up in pure horror to see his Ada standing there._

"_You listened?!" He demanded angrily. His pride and the pain of being rejected enforced his voice to be much crueler than he intended. "What right have you?!" He shouted with tears flowing down his cheeks._

"_You don't want to consort with his type!" Legolas warned gravely. "It would be a huge error. He is a racist pig. Let it go. What ever you were feeling shouldn't be felt for a man such as that." He was so cold in his words. Ellisarian had never heard his Ada be so cold. The thought of that word 'Ada' brought back more pains to him and he felt as if he would topple over any moment now._

_Ellisarian fell to the floor in tears. His heart breaking open and killing him slowly._

"_What have I done…?" He asked himself weakly._

When Ellisarian awoke next he was in his own bed and rooms, and sat up abruptly. His head pain was gone and his body was pleasantly warm. He looked around and saw his Ada leaning onto the bed at his side.

_It was just a night terror._ He told himself, to calm his racing heart. Then his thoughts turned to the argument he'd had with his Ada the night before… or perhaps many nights before. How long had he been asleep? _At least he's not still angry with me._ Ellisarian reasoned and smiled.

"Good morrow." A voice greeted charmingly.

Ellisarian turned his head quickly and saw his father standing in the doorway with Merrick. His heart gently fluttered with anticipation at seeing this man again.

"You've awoken." Legolas stated happily from beside him, and Ellisarian smiled at his Ada, then began to worry that his dream might come true right then and there if Merrick got the wrong impression… or the right one.

"Mayhap I should depart…" Merrick suggested. Ellisarian was about to call out to him, but his father did it for him.

"No!" He said smiling warmly. "I think Ellisarian would enjoy having the company of his savior instead of…"

"Father!" Ellisarian opened his arms to his father smiling too gleefully. Aragorn acted casually as he glared at Ellisarian –in a warning way that he would have to explain this later. He embraced his son and kissed his forehead gently, then glanced at Legolas who was the picture of calm.

He extended his hand to his husband and they left after making sure Ellisarian wasn't in any pain.

Merrick still stood in the threshold between Ellisarian's bedroom and the Sitting Room.

"Thank you for taking care of me." Ellisarian smiled up at Merrick, locking their eyes together. "I appreciate it. I know it must have been odd to just have me appear like that. How long have I been asleep?"

"Half the day." Merrick answered somewhat coldly.

"What's the matter? Is it about me showing up like that? I apologize…"

"No." Merrick told him sharply. "Tell me about your mother." He ordered directly.

Ellisarian made sure to keep his face steady. "Why do you want to know?"

"I just do." He answered shortly.

"When you tell me about your matriarch then I'll tell you about mine." Ellisarian replied sternly.

Merrick glared daggers at Ellisarian, but the young prince didn't flinch in his words, though inside he toiled about whether they should have been spoken. Was he ready to answer this, or even hear an answer?

Just when Ellisarian was convinced Merrick wouldn't speak, the pirate finally gave in. "My mother was a man… an elf. He and my father conceived of me during a great war between two of the greatest Clans ever formed: The Angelus Clan and the Bartula Clan. The primary reason for the war was because my father had mated with an elf. It is not unheard of, but it is considered _below _a royal family member to mate with an elf. The Clans are like brotherhoods and the stronger Clans look out for the weaker ones. The Bartula Clan disagreed with my father's decision and sought to fix it. They believed the elf was unreliable and could not be trusted with the responsibilities that came along with being the consort of the most powerful clan leader for centuries."

"This prejudice against elves came about before you were born?" Ellisarian asked.

"Not to all members of all clans. Angelus is a fairly freelance clan that bases its entire government around trust, loyalty, and respect for your superiors, but mostly trust. If you are let into the Clan or consort with a Clan member then you must be loyal to the Clan or you will be killed." He stated solemnly. "The Bartula Clan captured one of my other _father's_ brothers and held him hostage. They lured my father into a trap and forced that blasted elf to chose between my father or his own brother. One of them would die and that elf picked his brother to live. Not even a moment of indecision." Merrick's hard glare found the ground. "I hate him." He growled hatefully and full of despise. "I hate all _elves_."

Ellisarian suddenly found Merrick's deep emerald eyes connected to his.

"That isn't a proper reason to hate _all_ elves." Ellisarian told him thoughtfully, his voice full of sympathy.

"He chose his family over his lover and son! He betrayed the entire Clan in that one act!" Merrick shouted full of fury, then released his anger and sighed. "Allow me my hate." He murmured resignedly. "It's all I have left aside from the Clan my father left behind."

"You can't…" Ellisarian began sadly, his eyes beginning to sting.

"Why?! Why can't I? Tell me." He demanded.

"Merrick." Ellisarian whispered, his hair covering his eyes from view. "I want to tell you something about myself, but I don't want you to hate me for it. I've hidden this… but I want to tell you because… I… I think I'm developing feelings for you." He whispered softly.

Merrick just watched him quietly.

"The King's Consort is my actual Ada. I was not conceived by a woman." He looked up to Merrick's level unforgiving gaze. "I am part elf and part human." Merrick's gaze did not soften as he watched Ellisarian cry. "I… I can't say it would ever be possible for me to choose between the life of a lover or the life of my parents though. I think I'd die before actually deciding and I'm sorry your father died for the mistake of another elf, but not all elves are like that." Ellisarian explained trying to make Merrick see the truth.

He cried more when Merrick just glared at him instead of saying something.

"My father wasn't killed." Merrick said finally. "He escaped from the trap with me and the elves were killed… for being treacherous. It was a test and he failed! Even the Bartula Clan had more of a sense for loyalties than those elves did."

"They killed the elves as a gesture to your father?" Ellisarian asked disbelievingly.

"Yes." Merrick nodded. "And though my father would not have put anyone in such a position as to have to decide something so harsh like that, if he had and the same result had come about –no matter what the race of the creature- my father would have killed them just the same." He answered tonelessly. "That's the way of the Clans. You must treasure trust when it is bestowed upon you by one of our Clan."

"You can't despise all elves for the mistake of one, Merrick. Not all humans are trustworthy, but will you hate all humans for the mistake of one?" Ellisarian told him softly and tried to smile. "Please understand?"

Merrick turned away and walked out of the room.

Ellisarian cried out for him, but Merrick did not return. He leapt up from the bed and ran into the Sitting Room. Merrick sat on the floor in the corner against the wall, hugging his knees loosely. The young prince walked over to him slowly.

"Do you hate me?"

"No." Merrick replied grumpily. "I've just… I've never told anyone of that before. I'm not even sure if my Clan knows the complete truth." He sighed and ruffled up his hair in irritation.

"You don't really hate all elves, do you?"

"I'm cautious of them."

"You're cautious of everyone." Ellisarian replied with a bit of a smile.

"True." Merrick nodded, then wiped Ellisarian's tears away with the back of his hand. "You have a crush on me, huh?" He restated what Ellisarian had told him before.

"Yes." Ellisarian nodded shamelessly.

Merrick kissed a single fallen tear away from Ellisarian's cheek and the young prince gasped, sitting back fearfully, but at the same time a shiver shot up his spine and he wanted to purr with pleasure.

"Thank you."

Merrick nodded once, then stood. "I'll be back in a week to begin training with you."

"Why not sooner?" Ellisarian asked worriedly.

"I am the leader of a clan and Captain of a fine ship, I don't have enough time to spare on you every moment of the moon cycle." He stated calmly and the youth smiled. Ellisarian could tell that even though Merrick was being mean, it was a defense mechanism for not knowing what to say.

"You will come to spend time with me though, won't you?"

Merrick's mouth curved in amusement. "I suppose." He purred.

"Do you think…? Do you think the prophet spoke of me when she spoke to you?"

Merrick debated this with a frown, as if going through some old memories.

"It's very possible." Merrick nodded without smiling. "We'll just have to see if we fall in love."

"If not?"

"Then it was not meant to be."

"If so?"

"We'll see." He answered.

"A guess?"

"Then we'll leave here and sail on my boat and live together happily. You'll stay by my side for as long as we can stand each other." He shrugged. "Anything is possible, but don't get your hopes up just yet. I don't see as it would be possible to tear you away from this kingdom for a good many years, seeing as you are destined to be the future king and your parents seem to already have a disliking for me, or at least one of them, anyway." He sighed and smiled. "Don't plan as if it is positive yet. We must fall in love first. This is only a feeling. It must mold itself and grow into something more before I will make plans for the future."

Ellisarian nodded.

They stood together.

"I hope to see you soon." Ellisarian whispered seductively.

"Mayhap a week from now." Merrick murmured and walked toward the balcony pulling his cloak from the lounge and tying it before leaping onto the banister. He glared back at the prince. "Be cautious, my Prince." He warned and Ellisarian remembered the prophet's words. If he was indeed Merrick's future husband, his life was in danger over something.

He nodded reassuringly and Merrick felt safe enough with this that he could leave. He leapt off the banister to the ground and left the castle to the Prowling Wolf.

"He feels the same things I do." Ellisarian whispered giddily. He began to jump up and down with glee. "Yeah!" He shouted and covered his mouth still smiling like the Cheshire cat.

"Are you in a mood to talk about why you interrupted me, yet?" A voice asked from his door and Ellisarian spun, still with the smile on his face to see his father. He ran up to him and into a tight embrace.

"He feels the same, Father! He wants to get to know me better! He cares for me! He wants us to try and become something more! I'm so happy!" He held him tighter.

"Well, that was quick."

"Nay, it was painfully slow and we both cried and spoke of our pasts. That's why I went out last night. I had to talk to him and discuss why he hated elves so much, then he told me of his past and it was understandable and I convinced him not all elves were bad and he agreed finally and we both cried more and…"

"Breathe!" Aragorn urged abruptly.

Ellisarian did so as he continued to smile up into his father's mirthful eyes. "Things are right with the world." He whispered and kissed his father's cheek. "He doesn't hate all elves anymore and he wants to get to know me. I'm sorry for interrupting you earlier, but I didn't want you to reveal that I had an Ada before I had had the chance to interrogate him and tell him what I had to. He would have thought I was untrustworthy and I would have never gotten his trust back. You understand, don't you?"

"I was young once too, Ellisarian. Of course I understand." He smiled reassuringly. "I want you and Merrick to go slow with this relationship though. It will take Legolas a great deal of time to adjust to his son falling in love so quickly. He was quite old when he first fell in love so you understand it is quite peculiar to him."

Ellisarian nodded. "Thank you for understanding, Father."

* * *

The young prince could hardly bear the separation from one whom he was supposed to be coming closer to. The entire week was agony to get through without the object of his affection even remotely close.

Upon the seventh day, he paced the courtyard incessantly, causing others to worry even more for him.

When midday finally came and went, Aragorn and Legolas were summoned to help their son. They gazed down on him from the balcony and were about to call out to him, when a ringing laughter echoed off the walls of the courtyard, causing everyone to look up into a great oak tree where Merrick sat, leaning against the trunk of the tree, his cloak covering most of him as he looked down onto the pacing prince.

"Merrick!" Ellisarian cried out, thrilled.

Said pirate leapt down from the tree and could barely right himself before his arms were full of Ellisarian.

"You were pacing! All this time? Did you even sleep whilst I was absent?" He quipped, but gasped painfully after Ellisarian held him more tightly around his middle.

"Ah! Merrick, what's wrong? Are you wounded?" The prince cried out worriedly and the royal couple approached their son swiftly.

"Hello, Merrick." Aragorn greeted. "What has befallen you? You look remarkably pale."

"Ah, well…" Merrick was about to deny it, but instead released his breath in defeat. "I've been in a few fights since last we met and the most recent has left me rather bruised is all." He confessed with a smile.

"Lord Merrick!" They all looked up the wall to see Astrolle jumping over.

Aragorn growled grumpily. "Do you think we should have the wall raised another few yards?" He asked his husband and Legolas laughed lightly.

Astrolle bowed in apology to the king and walked closer to his Lord.

Ellisarian stepped back slightly as he watched the two men.

Merrick glared at Astrolle angrily as if he was about to yell, but Astrolle quickly stepped in beside him, so their bodies were touching and whispered hurried things into his ear.

Ellisarian felt a sting of jealousy run through him as he saw Merrick's first-mate speak so closely to him, but he was distracted by the emotions running across Merrick's features as he absorbed what Astrolle had to say.

"Damn." Merrick growled as they finally separated and Astrolle stepped back a respectful distance to allow Merrick his space.

Merrick tumbled these words over and over in his head and finally stood straight to speak to his lieutenant.

"We move out before the sun rises." He ordered.

"My Lord…" Astrolle seemed quite distressed for his leader.

"Do as I say, Astrolle! Make it so." He demanded and Astrolle reluctantly bowed his head in compliance. "Leave me."

Astrolle chose to leave through the castle this time. He bowed a goodbye to the king as he went, but kept his eyes downcast in thought.

The royal family, however, kept their gazes firmly on Merrick who took a moment to compose himself before turning back to Ellisarian.

"What's going on?" Ellisarian asked.

"I will not deceive you." Merrick whispered as he stepped closer to Ellisarian and grasped his arms gently. "These fights I've engaged in have much to do with the relationship I have been trying to conduct with you, but… do you remember the Bartula Clan I spoke to you of?" His eyes were full of concern and worry.

"Yes." Ellisarian nodded, then reality seemed to dawn on him. "They…"

"They have discovered my feelings of you through some loose-lipped bar tenders." He growled for a moment, then released his anger. "They are impressing upon me the actions of the last elf that was accepted into the Angelus Clan and are threatening war on us again. I had a confrontation with Florian, their leader and… for your safety my crew and I must leave Gondor." He finished bluntly.

"No!" Ellisarian cried out. "We haven't even found out if we truly love each other! How dare this Florian do this to you?!"

"He will not come under harm." Aragorn assured Merrick, who stood rather stiffly, unable to stop his own sorrow. "You have nothing to fear." He said confidently.

Merrick smiled warmly and shook his head. "I mean not to offend you, my Lord, but your husband can tell you of how I fight and what I am for he has seen it in me as any elf can. I am a killer and Florian's Clan is no exception to the way we all are. We are born killers. Assassins. Trained to destroy all targets and I would not put the life of one I care about at risk. If I were the one going after your prince, then I know I could accomplish it and if I can, then I wouldn't put it past Florian, for he is a very skilled fighter."

With a grimace, Merrick pulled away his cloak and opened shirt, to show them a scar –long since healed- that adorned his chest.

Ellisarian immediately became protective of his pirate. He wanted to tear this bastard Florian apart for marking his Merrick.

After a moment to let them examine the severity of the scar, Merrick covered himself with his cloak again. "I was far too careless and though I know you've been trained as a swordsman, my prince, you have not been trained as a killer and you can, therefore, not even defend yourself against Florian."

Ellisarian could not argue with his pirate's reason, for it was quite logical. "Please." He murmured in defeat. "Stay with me on your last day."

"The crew…" Merrick began to protest, but Ellisarian wrapped his arms around Merrick's neck and he was silenced.

Legolas watched his son being tortured and frightened, but he could bear no more.

"I order you to stay here until early morning, Merrick of the pirate clan Angelus. You are not allowed to leave until my son says you may." He spoke authoritatively.

Merrick smiled wearily at the King's Consort and Legolas' façade melted slightly.

"I concur!" Aragorn nodded once and put his arm around his husband's waist.

"As do I." Merrick whispered. He lifted Ellisarian's chin until it leveled their eyes. "You have me until morning, my Prince." He murmured.

* * *

Ellisarian shut his bedroom door and shut out the worries of his fathers' with it. He slowly turned to Merrick, worried.

"Will you ever come back?" The prince asked, trying to keep from sounding hysterical and managing somehow.

"I hope to." Merrick answered quietly. His position on the couch allowed him to easily see Ellisarian. "Come to me." He whispered suddenly.

Ellisarian slowly complied, and was drawn onto Merrick's lap quite abruptly once he was close enough. He felt his hard chest and strong legs and felt his own body melt happily at being so close to him, even as the atmosphere of the room remained gloomy.

"I realized as I fought with Florian, that I wasn't just fighting with him because there was a slim chance you might be the one." He told him. "I realized that my teachings to you, my words of my past and all else was relinquished to you because I felt a great connection to you that enraptures my whole body with enormous pleasure. I noticed your jewelry and Elvin braids, which caused me to question you, and I knew once I became so emotional over our conference together that… this had become more than personal. This whole week I've grown to love you in your absence and I thought it absurd at first that absence had caused my heart to grow fonder of you, but it is true. I think by the way you were pacing when I arrived that it was the same with you."

"Oh, it was!" Ellisarian cried out and placed his hands on Merrick's chest and shoulder, just to feel him, to get closer than possible, to memorize all of him. The urge was too great for him. He had spent too long thinking of this; thinking of just being able to touch the flesh under these clothes, just to touch. The thought of touching him had brought pleasure to Ellisarian. "I can not tell you the agony I suffered of not being able to see you and indulge in you every moment of the days. I've wanted to hear the sound of your voice, your laughter. I've wondered of things only lovers know. What does your heart sound like against your chest? How would it feel against my chest? Is the flesh under your clothes as colored as your face? Do you have the scars of a warrior, and where? Does your hair feel as soft as it looks? Do your eyes change color when you're angry or sad… or in passion?" He stopped there, his breath having quickened greatly, but he could feel Merrick's heart rate hadn't picked up in the least and he lowered his passion-filled eyes. "Above all else…" He continued bravely, though his voice quivered. "I've wanted your companionship, just to be near you. Please stay close to me?"

Merrick didn't speak for an unbearable amount of time and it almost caused Ellisarian to get up and walk away, but he remembered that Merrick had been the one to pull him down in the first place, so he stayed.

"I… I wish nothing more than to explore the same pleasures you desire… Ellisarian." The pirate whispered intimately and the prince's breath hitched in his chest. He met Merrick's gaze.

"You've never spoken my name to me before." He whispered in a lustful voice.

"I know. I thought it improper before, but… if we are to be lovers it would be rather peculiar for me to continue to call you 'prince'."

"I like you saying my name. It sends shivers through me." He murmured leaning closer. "May I…?"

"These are the last moments we will have with each other for a long while, do as you wish, Ellisarian."

Ellisarian leaned closer, their lips a small measure of space apart. Merrick leaned the rest of the distance forward. Tingles ran through both men, enflaming their loins and causing both to become more aggressive. The kiss turned passionate as Merrick's tongue entered Ellisarian's mouth and the young man enjoyed a thrill he'd never had before from anyone.

A simple kiss.

How it brought more pleasure-filled ideas into Ellisarian's mind.

He slipped his hand under Merrick's silken shirt, feeling the scar for a moment, then just the skin of his lover's chest.

Their mouths moved apart as they both looked to where Ellisarian's hand still stroked Merrick. Merrick's head fell back in pleasure, as his breathing picked up slightly.

Ellisarian watched this with fascination. He untied the cloak that still clung to Merrick's shoulders and threw it aside. Next he pulled Merrick's shirt from his pants and over his head tentatively. When he saw Merrick's broad shoulders, and well-muscled chest and stomach, he felt himself harden in anticipation.

First he let his hands roam over the chest displayed before him, then he bravely straddled Merrick's waist and leaned down to his lover's chest.

His eyes darted to Merrick's eyes before he went any further however. He wouldn't continue touching Merrick without permission and after the firm nod was given he allowed his lips to descend over Merrick's throat in a sweet chaste kiss. In an excruciatingly slow line he danced over Merrick's upper body with his kisses. When he found his mouth over Merrick's nipple, he tried using his tongue to taste it daringly and when he heard his lover gasp he sat back in worry, but at the sight of pure ecstasy on Merrick's face, he smirked and continued his ministrations.

Merrick's skin tasted salty and smelled of the sea, which was no great surprise, but quite beguiling to discover.

Merrick cried out then growled gutturally after his lover had brushed his teeth over Merrick's nipple teasingly. This cry of passion was a great pleasure onto Ellisarian and he was excited himself by the sound that _he_ had caused to come from Merrick.

Ellisarian was overwhelmed suddenly by Merrick's arms under him, lifting him off the couch and carrying him easily to the bed room and onto the bed.

However, instead of continuing to be in charge of the situation, Ellisarian found Merrick pulling off his clothing and tasting his own flesh. The pleasure accompanied by these motions was unfathomable.

"Merrick!" He cried out passionately. _How has he learned how to do such things with his tongue?_ Ellisarian wondered as Merrick's tongue licked under his ear. Oh, how sensitive he was right _there_! How had he never realized this about himself? Merrick nipped playfully at his ear and the prince thought he would die from the pleasure. "You're torturing me!" He cried out and Merrick snickered.

"Then I am achieving my goal." Merrick replied seductively. The way Merrick spoke made Ellisarian shiver. Merrick lowered his mouth over the prince's and all thoughts left their minds as they indulged in the simple pleasure of a kiss.

Ellisarian wrapped his arms around his lover and found the skin on skin contact quite indescribable. Merrick didn't have a hairy back as most men his age would, and the youth was positive it was only because of his Elvin heritage.

As Merrick began to divulge them of the rest of their clothes, Ellisarian started to worry. _Will it hurt? How should I prepare? Am I ready for this? What do I do? Is he… is he going to do it?_ As he felt the cooler air of the room reach his lower belly, he tensed and realized Merrick had stopped.

Ellisarian opened his eyes again slowly, to see Merrick sitting back as he straddled him. His eyes were half-mast and patient as they gazed onto Ellisarian.

"Merrick… I…" Ellisarian stuttered.

"Are you afraid?" He asked simply.

"Yes." His voice cracked and he looked away from Merrick.

"Look at me."

Ellisarian complied.

"Do you want to do it to me?" He asked sternly.

Ellisarian's mouth dropped as he watched his lover. "I, uh…" He waited for Merrick to interrupt, but his lover was ever the patient man, "I'm afraid."

"That's okay." He whispered in reply.

"I don't know how." He admitted.

"Are you making excuses or do you just not want to?" He asked and Ellisarian was unsure of how to respond to Merrick's sedate demeanor.

"I want you inside of me." He answered finally.

Merrick smiled warmly as if he wouldn't have minded either way, but he had wanted it to be Ellisarian's decision. "It is a great pleasure, not only to have your lover inside of you, but also to be inside your lover and feel their body contract around you." He began kissing the youth's neck tenderly as his hands roamed over the flesh open to him. "If you should want me to stop or slow down, just tell me so." He whispered lovingly and Ellisarian knew right then that he would never want this man to ever stop loving him.

Ellisarian woke from a warm dream of kisses and love. His dream was only a recreation of the love he'd shared with Merrick a few hours before. He felt a breeze flow into the room through a window they hadn't bothered to get up and close. He turned over hoping to wrap himself up in his lover's warm arms, but instead found an empty bed. He sat up abruptly and called out his lover's name.

He heard only a shuffle from the next room in response, so he leapt up from the bed and ran into the Sitting Room. There his lover stood, tightening a belt around his slim waist, over his tunic.

"Merrick…" he paused, "what are you doing?"

Merrick turned to him slowly and smiled. He pulled his cloak up from the lounge chair and strolled over to Ellisarian. As he came closer he spun the cloak over his lover's shoulders to cover his bare body from the cool winds that swept through the room. He then lowered his mouth over Ellisarian's in a gentle chaste kiss. When they separated, Ellisarian met Merrick's hard gaze with a teary one of his own.

"Where are you going?" He asked innocently.

"I must leave you now." He answered lovingly. "You know it must be like this, my love."

'_My love.'_ Ellisarian repeated to himself. _Oh, please don't leave me! We shared so much only hours ago! You can't leave me now! Stay! Protect me by staying here! Don't distract the danger from me and call it to you! I want to share this with you. I want to share eternity with you._ A tear fell from his eye as he continued to stare into his lover's eyes.

"My love." He repeated out loud. "My love. You can't leave me now." He murmured, clinging to the cloak that smelled of his beau.

Merrick caressed his cheeks with gentle hands and kissed each temple. "I gave all of myself to you as you did as well. Does that not show my devotion to you?"

"It does, and your devotion is grand, but your body is what I want and I want it here, beside mine." He blinked rapidly to keep the other tears from falling. "I know it's selfish, but you're doing this for me… to protect me and I don't want you to go!"

"I can't properly protect you and love you at the same time, my love. You are an elf. You can not stay cooped up in this castle until I've managed to drive Florian away. Besides the fact, he would manage to find a way to poison your food or get an assassin close enough to kill you. I can't take that risk." He held the youth's shoulder's tightly in his grasp.

"When will you be back?" He asked, forcing himself not to break down into sobs right then and there.

Seeing Ellisarian so close to losing his composure, Merrick knew he wouldn't be able to leave like he had to if he kept looking. Merrick's face hardened slightly and he turned his eyes away for the first time since their conversation had begun.

This action caused Ellisarian to bow his head under Merrick's chin, against his chest. He held tight to Merrick's tunic as if to will him not to move, but Merrick took his hands and pulled them away from himself. He stepped out of Ellisarian's reach and stalked over to the door and the young prince broke down into a fit of tears and loud sobs.

Merrick opened the door to his room and shut it was a small snap. Ellisarian ran to the door and banged on it a few times, still sobbing and crying out for Merrick to not leave, but his strength soon dwindled and he fell to the ground leaning against the heavy wooden door. He tried vainly to force his heavy panting into a calmer breathing pattern, but it seemed no matter how much air he took in, it would never be enough.

Unknown to him, on the other side of the door, Merrick had sunk down in much the same fashion, his back against the door, his elbow resting on his knee as his hand grabbed his hair and fought the very same urge to cry out in despair. So very close, yet so very far from his lover.

He waited there a moment longer, then rose and straightened himself before continuing down the hall silently, so as not to alert Ellisarian that he was still close by.

He stopped at the end of the hall and turned back to glance at the door. "I love you." He whispered gently, then turned and left at a run. He had to leave this place, as fast as his legs would carry him, or he might turn back. It was still dark out. He could make it in the cover of darkness easily. His men waited for him on the Santeria.

They had been worrying about him lately. None worried more than Astrolle, however, for he was the only one that saw the pain he suffered over leaving this elf behind.

* * *

Legolas came out of the shadows as Merrick ran past the corridor he had hidden in whilst he watched the whole spectacle. Aragorn approached behind him and encircled him in a loving embrace.

"This is horrible." He murmured as Aragorn's embrace tightened.

"I know." Aragorn whispered gently.

"He is so brave. I see you in his eyes, my love." He voiced and looked deeply into his eyes. "Their love is different, however, because both you and I were royalty before we married. We were each somewhat bound by these royal rights, but Merrick is a freelancer. He travels where he wishes and to remain still in this castle to be by Ellisarian's side would destroy his soul."

"He is also bound, my love." Aragorn corrected gently. "He leads the pirates, commands a crew, and through all that, he is also his father's son. The son of a man that was known to all of Middle Earth as the grandest of travelers and fighters. Bedtime stories were told of his father. Prophets deemed that he would become the greatest ruler the Eastern world had ever seen. He is from much farther away than you, my love. For him to return home it would take far more than a fortnight just to reach his land."

"He is so strong." Legolas stated as he looked around the corner at his son's door, where he could still faintly hear him sobbing with his Elvin ears. "But Ellisarian can not live without him." He turned back to his husband. "Do you think Merrick could do it? Give up his piracy position forever and live here beside our son?"

Aragorn didn't answer.

"Should we go and comfort Ellisarian?" He wondered, his heart aching for his son.

"No." Aragorn replied sternly. "Not just yet. Nothing we say will make this pain disappear. We would only be lying to say that Merrick will return soon and we can't be sure if he will return unharmed. Anything we say now will only make him cry more. When he needs comfort, he will seek us out."

Legolas nodded slowly, unsure.

They returned to their rooms together and laid in their bed, holding each other, both with the same thoughts.

_My poor baby boy. There has to be something I can do._

Aragorn thought of what he could do as a king to help this, but they had no proof of this Florian person having done anything wrong yet, so he could not put him on trial, or prison.

Legolas could only think of how to comfort his son, but he knew if Aragorn were the one that had left, there would be no words that could ever comfort him unless they were his husband's words from his own mouth.

"I love you." Legolas stated suddenly and Aragorn held him more tightly.

"As do I." Aragorn answered passionately and kissed his pointed ear.

* * *

Ellisarian was a ghost for far more than a month. He ignored his lessons and scarcely ate more than he needed to. The only comfort he indulged in was to lay in the bed he'd shared with Merrick and inhale deeply. The smell of Merrick remained. Oh, the smell of the sea would not disappear. He slept on that pillow every night to absorb his lover as much as he could. He traveled aimlessly around Gondor at times, with guards of course.

For the first few days he could still feel a soreness where Merrick had entered him and he loved that pain. It was a reminder that Merrick wasn't something he had imagined. It was real and grand. He had a lover that was right now fighting to protect his life. He had a grand fighter for a lover.

His sex ached at times as he thought of Merrick. His lover. His companion. His protector. His warrior.

No matter how he tried to please himself he found he couldn't and just waited for the aching to leave.

The cloak was another comfort.

The cloak his lover had wrapped him in that smelled even more like Merrick than the pillow did. It was _his_ after all. He wore it wherever he traveled as the weather got horribly cold throughout the whole month. It was thick, obviously made to repel worse weather than this on the deck of the Santeria. Oh, his Merrick. He wanted him back desperately.

Finally, Legolas could watch his son suffer no longer. He spoke with Aragorn worriedly and his husband came up with a fantastic idea.

"Take him to the harbor. He can smell the sea and be comforted by that, hopefully." Aragorn suggested wiping sweat from his brow. The fire in his den was harsh as he'd wanted, but now it was almost overwhelming. Legolas jumped into his arms.

"You are so wise, my love." He declared. "Come with us!"

"No." Aragorn whispered sadly. "I must receive newcomers today and I have so much to do with these new laws. Please forgive me. Take our son and make him happy again. Give him back some of the spark he had with Merrick at his side and in his mind."

Legolas agreed and just before he left to get his son he opened the window for Aragorn to have some relief and his mate flashed him a grateful smile.

Aragorn had his duties to tend to, but Legolas was perfectly free to take his son on a little trip.

Heavily guarded –just in case- they set out in a carriage and Legolas refused to tell Ellisarian where they were going until they arrived.

As Ellisarian stepped out of the carriage in his lover's thick cloak, he was hit with a distinct smell. It was Merrick's smell. Not completely, but it _was_ the smell of the sea. He opened his eyes to see the harbor.

He felt the sting of tears at the back of his eyes as he looked at it, but he decided he would enjoy this. His Ada had gone to such lengths to give him some comfort and here it was.

He smiled for his Ada and hugged him softly.

"Thank you." He whispered and began to walk closer to the docks.

As he approached he felt more of the cold of the sea encircle him. This was the cold that his lover suffered through, and he did it without his cloak so that Ellisarian might have some piece of him until his return.

A ship sat in the large harbor. It was the only one aside from a few dinky unattended sailing boats. This one was a large wooden beauty. As Ellisarian approached to see the ship's name he squinted his eyes to make out the broken letters.

"_AN ERA_." He read and frowned. "What kind of a name of a ship is that?" He wondered vaguely.

"It says…! _SANTERIA_!" A crew member shouted from above angrily, a grease bucket in his hand. "What the 'ell ya want, boyo?!" The rude man demanded.

Ellisarian's heart filled with joy as he stared at the name again and realized… yes, the letters were only covered in spilled black grease. They blended in with the ship making it impossible to see them.

"Oh, my…" He murmured happily. "Where is your captain?!" He shouted to the crew member.

"Why shud I tell ya?" He demanded with an accent.

Legolas came up behind his son and put a hand on his shoulder. "I am the King's Consort! You are porting in our harbor! I demand you tell me where your captain is!" He ordered sharply.

"Oh." The man groaned, relenting. "What the 'ell is ya doing 'ere? The Cap'in went ashore to the castle. Idn't 'e lookin' for ya?"

Ellisarian spun to face his Ada, who smiled broadly. "Let's go."

They ran off back to the carriage and hurried home quickly.

By the time them reached the castle Ellisarian wasn't sure if his legs would carry him, what with his lack of doing anything lately in the way of eating or exercise, but he was determined.

_Where would Merrick be?_ In his room!

He tested his legs, then took off to his rooms quickly.

"Go, Ellisarian!" Legolas cried out after him, but he was too tired to run like Ellisarian. Besides the fact that his son would hone in on Merrick easily without his help.

Ellisarian burst through the door and looked everywhere, but Merrick wasn't in the bed chambers, bath, or sitting room. He growled. Where else?

His father would surely know. He ran to his father's study, stumbling a few times on the way, but found he wasn't there.

"Where are you, Father?" Ellisarian asked aloud, then demanded the same information of a passing servant.

"In the Hall, my Prince. He is receiving a guest." The servant replied and left him quickly.

Ellisarian ran off to the Hall. This was becoming tiring of his already weak limbs. He barely made it to the Hall when he thought he would keel over.

He pushed open one door and when he saw his father he smiled momentarily.

"Father! I need to ask you…" His breath caught in his throat and he thought he would never breathe again. There, before his father, stood Merrick in all his glory. Black hair curling around his shoulders, stormy dark eyes staring right into his, tall beautiful body poised and missing only a cloak to make him perfect. "Oh, gods!" He cried out and wondered if he could run to his lover. He attempted it anyway and tripped mere feet from him.

Merrick caught him easily, lifting him off his feet and into his arms. Ellisarian wrapped his legs around Merrick's middle, holding to him tight. They kissed for a long moment, Ellisarian's arms wrapped around Merrick lovingly.

When they parted, Merrick was frowning.

"You're so light." He complained. "You haven't been eating, have you?"

Ellisarian laughed and wrapped his arms around Merrick's neck tighter. "You're alright!" He stated firmly and kissed every part of his lover's face he could. One of his hands spun through Merrick's hair to feel its softness and know that Merrick was really there. "Oh, you're alive. I have you again. You aren't leaving me, are you?" He asked suddenly quite afraid.

"No." Merrick whispered into his sensitive ear and he playfully licked it. "Not for a long while anyway."

"Merrick!" Legolas cried out happily. "Thank the gods." He murmured as he strode toward his husband.

They approached their son together.

Merrick lowered Ellisarian onto his feet easily and kissed his forehead as Ellisarian clung to him relentlessly.

"It's good to have you back, Merrick." Legolas told the pirate captain.

"Thank you." Merrick bowed his head slightly.

"How did you fare against Florian?" Aragorn asked with a gentle smile.

Merrick scowled and looked away. "I'd prefer not to talk about it." He turned back to Ellisarian and smiled. "The outcome is that he will leave us alone, though." He kissed Ellisarian's lips chastely and locked their eyes together.

"Was there a fight?" Ellisarian asked quickly.

"Yes."

"Were you a part of it?"

"I did not have to battle Florian if that's what you're getting at." He answered with a frown.

"I'd like to speak with you later, Merrick." Aragorn whispered to the captain.

"Yes, Sir." Merrick nodded once seriously.

"Now, go off." Aragorn told them smiling. "Please come down to midday meal if you can manage it, though."

Merrick smirked and nodded. "I'll remember that."

Ellisarian and Merrick left quickly, headed back to their rooms. On the way up though, Merrick stopped a servant and asked that several food platters be brought up to the prince's rooms.

The servant obeyed immediately and no sooner had they reached the room, than a platter of fruits and drinks was brought to them.

They sat in the Sitting Room. Merrick on one side of the eating table and Ellisarian on the other. Merrick sat with his legs open as he watched Ellisarian eat slowly.

"I'm alive, my love. No need to starve yourself." He told the prince, who blushed and ate a bit faster. Merrick poured him a goblet of wine and handed it to him silently. His lover accepted with a nod of thanks and kissed the hand that offered it to him.

"I'm not hungry anymore." The prince declared after a while and Merrick smirked.

"You'll not get any touches from me until I'm satisfied with how much you've eaten." He replied leaning a bit closer. He picked a grape from the tray and held it close to his lips as his tongue caressed the skin of the fruit, then he pushed it to his lips and bit half of it as his eyes locked with Ellisarian's all the while.

Ellisarian sat entranced as he watched Merrick work wonders around this grape. He wanted that mouth over his body, licking him not the fruit. Merrick popped the rest of the grape into his mouth, then seductively licked each finger from that hand, then he sucked his forefinger and released it with a pop from his mouth.

His gaze seduced Ellisarian for a moment longer, then he stood and pulled his tunic off. He stretched and walked over to the hearth to start a fire.

"Eat!" He demanded from across the room.

Ellisarian groaned with pleasure. "You tease." He growled murderously.

Merrick's gaze spun to his with a devious smirk. "I live only to seduce you, my love." He smiled. "Now eat, or I'll go to your father now."

Ellisarian immediately picked up a kiwi and began working at it. "So mean." He murmured as he dug out the fruit from the inside.

By the time Merrick had the fire stoked to its fullest Ellisarian had eaten all he could possibly eat and Merrick was satisfied finally.

"Now?" Ellisarian begged gesturing to the bedroom.

Merrick glanced up at it and frowned. He looked around, then smirked.

"Not quite yet." He replied. "I need a bath." He turned to the bathing room and Ellisarian's mouth dropped in a grumpy manner and he growled with impatient anticipation.

After Merrick reached the door and opened it, he turned seductively back to his lover.

"You're, of course, welcome to join me." He whispered and Ellisarian's eyes lit up with realization.

"Oh!" He cried out happily and jumped up to stand.

Merrick shut the door so it was open just a crack and started the water running.

Ellisarian began undressing before he reached the room. The cloak he threw onto the chaise lounge, his boots he tossed carelessly to the side, and his shirt he threw back, careless of where it landed. He pushed open the bathroom door to see his lover completely naked, his back to him.

"So beautiful." He whispered.

"You flatter me, my Prince." Merrick teased.

"Oh, gods, just come to me." He whispered heatedly.

"You're still half dressed." Merrick murmured as he approached, dipping his hips erotically as he walked over. "Allow me to help you." He knelt before the prince and pulled at the string holding his lover together. As he lowered the breeches he kissed his lover.

Ellisarian cried out as that mouth landed on the tip of the sin itself, while the devil's hands massaged his thighs rhythmically.

"Oh, Merrick!" His hands fell into the spill of black curls that was Merrick's hair. Merrick needed no more urging to take all of Ellisarian into himself. His lover gasped loudly and moaned the air back out.

He sucked on his lover's thick sex and nipped it playfully. After copious working from that talented mouth, Ellisarian came in a rush into his boyfriend's mouth.

Merrick swallowed all of him and released Ellisarian's weakened member, then kissed his navel lovingly. "Did you miss me so deeply that merely a taste of foreplay will make you break?"

"It is more than I have had in nearly two months!" Ellisarian collapsed into his lover's arms sated. "The things you do, my love." Ellisarian murmured against Merrick's throat. His eyes closed blissfully.

"The sounds you make, my love." Merrick quipped with a chuckle. "I've never heard anyone make so many different noises and so loud."

"Hiraetha." (Sorry.) Ellisarian whispered worriedly.

Merrick burst out laughing. "Oh, no, my love, that's nothing to apologize for. It makes me hard hearing your pleasure." He kissed his cheek, then mouth passionately.

Ellisarian realized suddenly that Merrick was still hard against him and he worried he had done something wrong, but Merrick was smiling peacefully. As if reading his thoughts, Merrick spoke:

"Don't worry, my love. This is a time for both of us." He lifted Ellisarian off the floor and placed him back down in the hot bath. He joined him a moment later –the water doing wonders for his screaming muscles- and they embraced each other with love. Merrick relaxed all of his muscles against Ellisarian's body and kissed his neck tenderly. "I love you." He whispered softly and Ellisarian almost missed it.

"Oh, gods, have I ever not loved you?" He asked the air rhetorically and wrapped his arms around Merrick. "I love you, oh, I love you so much!" He murmured and kissed Merrick's forehead lovingly. "Fill me!" He begged. "I need you inside of me! Take me!" He demanded and Merrick smiled warmly.

Without a word his hand snaked down behind Ellisarian's body to his opening.

"Open your legs for me." He whispered tenderly.

Ellisarian obliged and Merrick entered him with his fingers. Two stretched him in preparation, then a third… He hadn't felt this in so long. So many nights without his lover. After that first night they had been bonded together in a sense, and the parting had been so harsh for him.

"Was our parting painful for you, my love?" Ellisarian had to know. He wanted his feelings to be confirmed by the man he loved more than the world.

"I leaned back against your door." He murmured into Ellisarian's collarbone and his lover knew what he meant by those words – remembering the early morrow clearly. "I wanted to open the door and hold you in my arms again. I wanted to believe that my staying would keep you safe, when I knew it wouldn't. It is only by remarkable luck and great sacrifice that I made it back to you at all." He kissed his lover's collarbone, then licked the scented skin. The hot water was doing wonders for his body's responsiveness.

"I thank the gods that you did. All the way back from the harbor I was praying to every god I could think of that you were well and suffered of no ailment. I thanked every god I could imagine that you were alive and now back with me." He kissed Merrick's luscious black hair. "I love you. I love you." He murmured over and over again, as Merrick removed his fingers and pushed fully into him.

Nothing more than their breathing and gasps filled the next few moments as Merrick moved as slowly as possible through his lover.

Every now and again they called out each others names as they kissed and touched one another.

Merrick's hand clasped Ellisarian's member as he began to pump him in time with his motions in and out of his lover. Ellisarian kissed Merrick's mouth, diving his tongue into his lover's mouth and memorizing every angle with each erotic swipe.

After their kiss broke, Merrick quickened his pace and slipped his mouth over Ellisarian's nipple, sucking feverishly.

Ellisarian cried out as Merrick hit his sweet spot again and again with each push. The prince tightened all his muscles around Merrick, causing him to still himself, but not in pain. They both came with one more powerful thrust.

"Oh, Merrick!!"

"Ellisarian!"

They both relaxed, staying connected as they released. Ellisarian's hand began to play with Merrick's silk smooth hair as the water slipped back and forth in the bath like waves from the motions of their love making. It lapped at his nipples as he leaned against the lip of the tub, Merrick pulled tightly to his breast.

"We should get down to the dining hall." Merrick stated after a long while of silence. Ellisarian had thought he was asleep. He squeezed Merrick tightly between his legs.

"Don't go yet." He whispered lovingly.

"You're coming with me, love." Merrick replied laughing, but he didn't move to leave Ellisarian's warmth. "If we don't go now, your father will come here to get us." He voiced finally and Ellisarian couldn't decide which was worse, having his father find him and his lover together naked, or having Merrick pull out of him and feeling that separation that he'd been feeling for over a month.

"Don't leave me." He said though his voice cracked and Merrick met his gaze worriedly.

"My love, I'm not going anywhere. Together. Together we're going to go eat." He pressed his hand over Ellisarian's stomach. "Food. We'll come right back here and get into that bed you're so fond of." He promised sensually.

Ellisarian looked into his companion's eyes and smiled. "Alright." He agreed, but feeling Merrick pull back from him was still saddening. Merrick lifted him out of the water and brought him over to a dais where he dried them both off.

After that it was to the bed room where two wardrobes stood on either side of the bed.

"Already moving me in, are you?" Merrick chuckled deeply. The prince pointed to the one that was Merrick's with a blush.

"I only had a few things brought here for such occasions as this." Merrick went to one and Ellisarian went to the other –every now and then looking back at his lover and watching him dress.

They each wore black breeches. The prince wore a silk shirt and long tunic, but Merrick wore a loose cotton top and an emerald waistcoat. When Ellisarian saw him in this sultry waistcoat, it made him want to ravish his lover all over again.

They walked hand in hand down to the dining hall and when they entered all present looked up, shocked and entranced. The couple was a stunning image to all.

Five long tables made up the dining hall for all executive people in the castle and all guests to the castle. The central table of the five was the royal table for only the most important.

Aragorn and Legolas sat in the middle of the table surrounded by important advisors, guests, the captains of the guard, etc.

As Ellisarian's parents looked up they both beamed with pride at their son and his lover. Two seats were reserved. One on either side of the king and his consort.

They walked into the mostly silent room and over to their seats. Merrick bowed his head to the royal members of the table and sat beside Aragorn as per his request. Legolas smiled as his son sat beside him.

"Are you alright?" He wondered.

"Yes." Ellisarian answered plainly. "I just… I don't like being apart from him." He admitted.

"It's understandable." Legolas consoled. "I perceive your depression at being even this far from him." He whispered as Ellisarian put a few things on his plate. He looked over to Merrick and saw him glaring daggers at him. He sighed and pulled more food onto his plate. Legolas and Aragorn smiled as they watched this exchange.

Merrick, however, didn't put much food onto his own plate. Some meat and a fruit.

"Not hungry?" Aragorn wondered as the talk in the room picked up again.

"I was well fed on my ship." He answered calmly. "I only came down because he should be eating." He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes.

"Are you ill?" Aragorn pondered, with slight worry in his voice for the pirate.

"Tired." Merrick answered honestly. "Weak from the journey." He explained.

"Where'd you travel to?"

"The New Land, called 'No Man's Land' by most. It's where the clans meet during battles." He replied, leaning his head back against the chair's high back.

"Who fought if you did not?"

"My Second in Command." He answered sadly.

"He died?"

"Both." Merrick murmured cautiously so no one could hear but them.

Aragorn leaned casually closer. "Both?"

"Yes. My best man and Florian's best man fought together and they killed each other. Florian's man used a poisoned blade and Astrolle didn't. Florian's man cut Astrolle across his chest. Astrolle impaled the other man and he died, but Astrolle began to quickly become ill and we didn't have the medicine to save him. Florian was honorable about it. He hadn't been any the wiser of the poison and I could tell it. He promised to leave my lover be in exchange for Astrolle's lost life."

Aragorn felt terrible suddenly. "I'm sorry." He whispered to Merrick. "I had no idea."

"Obviously not. Who would suspect such a thing? Astrolle promised his life to me a long time ago." He stated in a reminiscing way. "And before the battle was fought he told me he would die to make sure I had what my father never had… happiness. He asked me if I thought Ellisarian would bring me happiness." He stopped there and Aragorn became anxious.

"And?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Merrick replied turning to the king sadly. "I told Astrolle that the light of the universe collected in Ellisarian's eyes. I told him my heart belonged to him and I would never be whole if I could never see him again. If I died before going back to him, then I would spend eternity as an unsatisfied ghost until Ellisarian finally died and we could be together again."

Aragorn reached out and grasped Merrick's arm tightly. "You're very brave." He told him sternly.

"Thank you… I think. I doubt I'm brave at all though. I can't stand to watch Ellisarian cry. I break down when he is unhappy. My insides ache at the mere prospect of a night spent alone away from him. I've pined for him for fifty days and losing Astrolle only made my pain worse. I wasn't made to be the strong one."

"You're doing a very good job at something you weren't made to do." Aragorn commented. "You must continue to do it too."

"I will, yes. I could never imagine leaving the burden to Ellisarian. I must protect him and keep him safe."

"Can you do it?" Aragorn demanded quickly, with a frown of worry.

"The love we share makes me strong. It keeps me alive." He replied earnestly. "I will never fail as long as our love survives. If he ever stops loving me…" He stared off into space. "I don't know what I would do. My father was… empty. He didn't care for anything. He became a deadly killer. He never showed emotion or became tender unless he was looking into my eyes." Merrick turned and glared into Aragorn's eyes deeply with a powerful gaze. "I mean _really_ look into my eyes. A piercing gaze that seemed to fill me and rape my mind of all thought. He divulged every particle of my soul with this one stare. He didn't do it often, but it almost seemed as if he could see my… my Ada in my eyes."

This news took Aragorn by surprise somewhat, but he smiled after a moment. "It's good that you have this… You have your father's glare, I think. You have his strength and I believe you will protect my son well. I have faith in you. Do not disappoint me, Merrick." He warned.

"Never." Merrick snapped seriously, and as one they returned to their meals.

As Merrick and Aragorn talked heatedly together, Legolas and Ellisarian talked much more gently on gentler topics after Ellisarian's fear had subsided.

"What do you think of children?" Legolas wondered.

"Can I bear children?" Ellisarian asked, shock lacing his voice along with fear and hope.

"You are made of powerful Elvin blood. It's very possible. I've never thought to test you though. I guess I always assumed you to be the more dominating type. You always seemed to like females more." He chuckled.

"Fate has odd ways of falling together perfectly with perfect people. I do not feel the urge to dominate Merrick. It feels right for me to lie on his chest and let him be my support and I try to be his when he needs it, but he never seems to need that and… I do." He shrugged and glanced over at his lover. He saw him pale suddenly and weak-looking, and worried for him, but Legolas had his attention again.

"How was it?" He asked sweetly.

"How was what?" Ellisarian asked, startled.

"I couldn't ask you before because you were so upset, but now he's here to be with you and you have no reason to be sad. How was your night with him?" He asked excitedly. Ellisarian immediately blushed under his Ada's words.

"Ada!" He cried out, his face going crimson. "You shouldn't be allowed to ask that of your son!" He added, urgent yet hushed. He looked around, worried that someone else might have heard him.

"Oh, calm down and stop evading the question." Legolas snapped good-naturedly and Ellisarian's gaze found his food plate.

"Let's talk about something else."

"Did he hurt you?"

Ellisarian's eyes widened and shot to his Ada's. "No." He shook his head several times. "Not at all. Oh, he was so gentle." Ellisarian's eyes closed and he could feel his lover's touch again through his memories. "Oh, not at all." He moaned happily and Legolas' touch startled him out of his daydreams. He realized several people were looking at him oddly and his face went crimson again.

Legolas smiled, blushing himself as he kissed his son's temple.

A little later, Ellisarian looked up to find his lover, but saw him asleep and began to worry.

"Father!" Ellisarian called out distressed, but not too loudly. His father glanced at him, then looked to his left to see Merrick sleeping. He smiled.

"Calm yourself, Ellisarian." His father urged. "He's just tired. He even said so to me. I'll carry him to your room. Stay and finish eating."

Ellisarian was about to object a thousand didn't ways, but Merrick had awoken and put his own word into the situation.

"All of you stay put. I can walk myself to bed." He stood unsteadily and walked away as they watched him go.

Ellisarian was about to jump up after him, but Merrick stopped at his chair on his way to the door.

"Stay. Please, just let me sleep." He begged softly and Ellisarian nodded determinedly. He would do as his lover wanted no matter how it went against his instincts.

Dinner was agony to finish. He wanted to excuse himself, but his lover's plea rung horribly in his ears. Would he disobey the one thing Merrick ever really asked of him? And such a simple request as well?

He fought to keep from running to the entrance when people did finally begin to leave. He kissed his Ada and Father on the cheek once each and bid them farewell.

What was even more of a challenge was to keep from dashing down the corridors that seemed so long before him. He could run them easily as he'd done countless times before, but he fought to remain in control of his body.

When Ellisarian finally reached his room again, he burst through his door and ran to the bed chambers to see Merrick sound asleep on his pillows and under his blankets.

_He's fine._ Ellisarian smiled relieved. _He was just tired._ He pulled off his clothes easily and slipped under the covers to hold his lover tight for sleep. _And why shouldn't he be after being out to sea for nearly two months and fighting that horrible bastard Florian?_

When morning finally arose, Ellisarian woke up to an empty bed. He nearly cried out in fear that the day before had been a dream and his lover was really gone, but then he smelt it. His Merrick's smell. It was freshly on the pillows that had before dulled of this smell. He pressed his face into the pillows and inhaled deeply.

_Ah! What a gorgeous scent!_ He thought idly.

"You've awoken!"

Ellisarian's head shot up to see his lover standing in the doorway to the bed chambers. Merrick was smiling warmly. "Oh, come now. Can I not enter a room any longer without you breaking down into tears?" He teased. Ellisarian hadn't even realized his eyes had begun to water, but he wiped the moisture away and laughed at himself.

"I awoke and you weren't… you weren't beside me. I thought for a moment that…" He sniffled, then jumped up and at a running jump flew into his lover's arms happily.

"Whoa!" Merrick yelped as he caught the prince and placed him gently on his feet.

"It doesn't matter! You're with me now!" He took in Merrick's fully dressed appearance and noticed they were all his old pirate clothes only slightly cleaner than before. "Where are you going?" Ellisarian asked worriedly.

"A trip to the harbor to see my crew." He answered easily. "I had a servant wash my clothes as best she could before putting them back on, so do not fear." He chuckled as he went to find his cloak.

"Oh, but you can't leave me yet!" Ellisarian begged standing still.

"Oh, Ellisarian, my love." Merrick grabbed his face with rough hands and kissed his pouting mouth. "I will not be gone very long. It will perhaps take a few hours to get my crew in order and my supply lists for them. I must secure a place for my boat in the harbor for however long it will be in port and do a maintenance check from our long voyage. These matters can not be ignored, my love. Forgive me." Merrick spun his cloak over his shoulders and smiled back at Ellisarian.

"May I come?" He wondered eagerly.

Merrick debated the idea carefully, then took in Ellisarian in a judging manner.

"What?" Ellisarian demanded as he looked himself over as well.

"I… uh, if you really must come… I suppose it would be fine."

"What troubles you about my request?" Ellisarian asked, his brow furrowed. He felt a bit putout by Merrick's reluctance.

"It is only that my men… well, not all of them are…" He seemed to be searching for a word, but came up with nothing and instead bluntly stated his point. "I do not believe you would be comfortable in their presence."

"Would I be in danger?" Ellisarian asked, already quite knowledgeable of the answer.

"No, but…"

"Then I will be coming along. You don't mind waiting, do you?" He didn't wait for a reply as he went off to change.

Merrick sighed heavily in defeat –slightly annoyed, but enjoying Ellisarian's persistence. "I must send word to your father of our plans. I will only be gone a moment." He stalked over to the door and called the closest servant to him.

After returning he sat down to brood how badly the day would go from there.

When Ellisarian came out happily and saw his mate in such a mood, his jovial mood simmered to a stop.

"Does it trouble you that I wish to accompany you?" He asked sadly.

"No." Merrick answered then looked up to his lover. "Sit." He whispered to him gently.

Ellisarian obeyed, sitting in the opposite chair as Merrick. "What troubles you then?"

Merrick thought on his words before looking Ellisarian in the eyes. He explained the events of what happened while he was in New Land. Ellisarian was speechless after it was through, but he realized Merrick was waiting for him to say something.

"This is horrible, Merrick." He murmured horrified. "I can not help but feel somehow guilty."

Merrick snorted. "I knew you would. That is why I delayed in telling you. I am trying to cope with these things myself, feeling equally as guilty for this. It was neither of us that poisoned that blade though. Astrolle was acting as it was in his nature to act. He was being the brave warrior that I met in my younger years and fought with. He did not expect a poisoned blade from a Clan member. It was another small betrayal and not only to my clan, but to Florian's as well. Once word has spread, little faith will be placed in Florian's midst and he will suffer greatly for this." He paused and ran his hand through his hair nervously. "Astrolle is usually the one to run all these maintenance checks and he usually makes up the supply lists for me to approve and be ordered, but now… now I must take this on and I am deeply sorry for this, my love, for I know how you wish me to be by your side when you awaken, but… not at the moment."

"I understand, Merrick. This is a great hardship unto you and I am willing to share you with your crew while you work through this. I am the intruder upon your world, my love. It is not the other way around."

"No." Merrick shook his head. "You are my world now, my love. My ship is my duty." He stood and extended his hand to Ellisarian. "Will you still come with me?"

"If you wish me to come I will be at your side always."

"I have no quarrel with you coming. I merely felt the urge to explain myself before I took you on such a journey at such a time. It was, however, not now that I would have chosen to tell you such sorrow-filled news, but… I suppose it must be spoken eventually."

Ellisarian took Merrick's hand and they walked out the main entrance to the castle where one horse stood proudly waiting.

The prince had never seen such a fine horse before. A fine black silk coat and piercing golden eyes.

Merrick strolled up to the horse that bore no saddle and he pulled the reins on the horse to keep him from moving away from Ellisarian. The horse affectionately nipped at Merrick's shoulder as he turned to Ellisarian.

"I do apologize, Ellisarian, but Dar will let no elf near him. Do you have a horse?"

Ellisarian nodded, a bit disappointed. He had looked forward to sitting in a carriage, but upon seeing the singular horse awaiting them, he had hoped on even closer contact to ride behind his lover. Now he could not even have that. He wondered vaguely if the horse would let no elf near him for the same reason as Merrick had aforementioned for hating elves.

He gestured to the stables and they started at a walk toward them.

Merrick awaited his lover outside the stables after feeling Dar's reluctance to near the building.

Ellisarian came into view on a large white mare that obediently followed her master's directions to Merrick's position. Before the mare approached too closely, Merrick mounted his stallion with a swinging jump and Ellisarian awed at how gracefully his lover did this, but he was part elf after all. They took off toward the main gate of the city to get to the harbor.

Three hours later they had finally arrived after a long steady gallop.

Ellisarian dismounted and felt slightly sore from the long ride. He hadn't ridden Felecia in so long, using those riding muscles again was a bit stressful.

Merrick however seemed to adapt to riding quite easily.

"Do you ride often?" Ellisarian wondered vaguely as he leaned on his lover a distance from Dar.

"Dar doesn't appreciate being ignored for long periods of time so whenever we port someplace he cries out until he is given plenty of attention. Quite the spoiled horse, he is."

They heard Dar nay aggressively from behind them and Merrick laughed.

"You know it's true!" He yelled back and the horse had no objections to that statement.

"Ah! D'at you, Cap'in?!" That same pirate from before demanded from the ship.

Suddenly the whole ship came to life with dozens of unshaven, grubby –old and young alike- men jumping around on the ship, cheering their captain's name. Some yelled it from the crow's nest or from the ropes they hung from lazily.

"Ho, Captain!" They all shouted to him as he approached with a powerful gait. Ellisarian had never seen him demand such attention yet wear such an easy grin.

"Ho!" He replied casually.

"Who be de blonde?!" A man in the crow's nest shouted hungrily.

"Blonde, where?!" Another hollered and soon all were gawking at Ellisarian greedily.

"Look at that!" Another yelled.

Merrick stood firmly on the dock glaring up at his crew, his feet spread.

Ellisarian had been scowling up the crew all the while of their taunts and whistles, but as Merrick had done nothing to object to their words, he had remained silent. He understood now what Merrick had meant about his crew's behavior.

Now the crew went silent at seeing their captain pissed.

"You will address my lover as Prince, or Sir, but never 'blonde', or 'sweetie', and if any of you talk to or of him in a derogative manner I will personally throw you overboard to the sea monsters!" He yelled this loud enough for all to hear over the deadly quiet and Ellisarian found that none were looking at him anymore. They solemnly looked at their captain for orders now. "Well?" He snapped.

"Ai, Sir!" They all shouted in unison.

"Repairs?" Merrick asked more casually as he walked up the plank onto to the ship with Ellisarian following him close behind. He took long leisurely looks at everything around the ship. The finely swabbed deck, the straight and sleek mast, the large gold-trimmed wheel at the helm where he assumed Merrick would usually be standing. "And that damned leak in the galley?" He hissed. "Gibbs! You be gettin' rid of the rotted food?"

Ellisarian became enthralled with the way Merrick slipped from sophisticated words into pirate blather and less and less manners of talk. He stayed silently by his lover's side all the while. It was quite chilly by the seaside. He was glad that he had brought two warmer cloaks as Merrick had suggested. Merrick spent the better part of an hour talking back and forth to these men, slipping at times, into different languages some of the men were more familiar with.

After Merrick assigned jobs all around to his men, he turned mostly to an older man with a scruffy beard, one finger missing from his left hand, and fifty pounds too much around his waistline alone.

"Go through the kitchen supplies with Gibbs an' judge what we be needin' for eats for the rest of the season. If I come back an' find you ordered six kegs o' brandy an' rum I'll let Brutis 'ave you for a plaything." He warned and many around them gulped.

Ellisarian tugged gently on Merrick's cloak as he was about to speak and Merrick lowered his hand and turned to his lover calmly. "Yes?" He asked sweetly, changing his speech a bit yet again.

"Who is Brutis?"

"A wild beast we keep on board to kill the rats. It once was a cat, I'm assuming, but now it attacks pretty much everything that moves aside from Gibbs who feeds him scraps when there not be enough rats and _pesky crew members_." He raised his voice on his last few words as he looked around to his men. They laughed somewhat believing it was true and somewhat cautious. "I call it a he because we don't know –no man here is willing to check either- and if you call the cat an "it" he gets offended and attacks, so… that's just what we call 'im." He smiled and rubbed Ellisarian's arm to give him a bit more warmth before continuing with his men.

"Sir?" The man from the nest asked boldly and Merrick turned his sharp eyes onto the man.

"Robins." He replied coolly.

"Fire wood, Sir? For the heatin' stoves? Might it be… 'kay to buy bit more this time 'round? It be gettin' real cold, Sir."

"Yeah." Merrick nodded sadly. "I 'spect we be in port a while. Make all repairs an' stock the ship for departure. Leave guards at all time 'round the ship. No thieves be gettin' on board to steal our supplies. Haggard, Corona, Hays, and Komb take first watch for a sevenight, then switch off. Inform me of all disturbances. Any corrections that need to be made to be sure we have no more dealings with thieves will be taken. The rest of you scalawags, go ashore and find lodgings! Send all supply lists to the castle addressed to me. Be quick about makin' the lists and I'll be orderin' them myself." He turned to the chubby man again and pulled out a small purse of coins that he jingled once before nodding and handing them to the pudgy pirate. He leaned in secretively close. "Make sure this gets to the blasted Harbor Keeper. Bastard chewed me out last time I anchored here without his knowing. Tell 'im there's more for him if he shuts up and leaves us be." He winked and the fat man nodded.

"Ai! Sir." He saluted him briefly, then took off.

Merrick's crew agreed to his orders of guarding the ship and with a great calamity of begging and over exaggerated pleads to stay they laughed Merrick away. Ellisarian couldn't help but notice the huge smile across Merrick's face as they left to their horses. He seemed so pleased at the way things had gone and pride emanated from him. He obviously prized his crew and they seemed more than willing to get his mind off Astrolle's death with jokes and humor.

"Bastards." Merrick muttered as they entered the castle again nearly four hours later. They had spent the whole day at harbor and it was nearly dark now. Merrick had coerced Dar into a stall beside Felecia's stall so at least he wouldn't be out in the cold and they were finally both ready for relaxation.

"What?" Ellisarian replied, awestruck by Merrick's outburst.

"They are trying to be brave for me." He chuckled. "What a grand crew." He whispered softly. Back to his elegant voice.

"Yes." Ellisarian nodded. "I think they hold you in a very high respect."

"I would hope as much." Merrick chuckled. "I was picking my crew before I was ever captain of that ship." Merrick added with a warm, loving glance to Ellisarian. "That ship is not my father's ship nor did he help me to procure it. Every detail of my life aside from my fighting skills and even some of those were all learned and obtained on my own. My father offered me a ship. I turned away his offer and built my own."

"You built that ship?!" Ellisarian gasped, startled. "You speak this honestly?!"

"Not _that_ ship." Merrick laughed heartily. "No. The ship I built was attacked, lit afire, and now sits in the bottom of the Great Sea, or what is left of my old ship anyhow. This one that I sail now was built by several of my most trusted companions and myself. It was just before the first war of our clans. I would accept no help from my father. It was something I was pushed to do by myself, but no person pushed me to do it. It was simply arrogance on my part. I wanted no help from my father. I wanted to be away from him and on my own. Though I regret wishing my father away from me, it was good that I became independent so early in my life for I would surely be dead now if I had not started such tasks as young as I did."

"How old were you when your ship was finished?" Ellisarian asked intently.

"By my eighteenth birth year celebration I was sailing away on my ship with a small crew… with as small a crew as could manage the ship we'd built anyway. There were perhaps ten of us doing twice as much work as we were capable of. Our journeys were short for these reasons, but we enjoyed every moment of it. We were free from our clans and families and independent. That was most important to all of us." He paused in thought and interrupted his lover as he was about to ask another question. "What's your favorite time of year?" He asked passionately.

Ellisarian was taken aback. He hadn't expected the sudden change in topic. "Are you changing the topic on purpose?" He wondered with a light frown.

"I merely desired to know more about the young prince I was bedding and you seemed about to delve deep into a conversation that might take us a while to finish. Consider this a way of evening the balance." He reasoned. "I will answer your questions easily after." The pirate promised with a pretty smile.

Merrick watched his young love as he watched him in much the same searching fashion, but he knew the youth would see he was being truthful.

He took this opportunity to take in Ellisarian completely yet again. He had enjoyed watching his lover sleep that morning. It had been like watching an angel. The gentle warmth that had emanated from him, his peaceful smile as he dreamt sweet dreams, his pale tender skin that radiated with the dull light from the open window that could not compare. The soft pale hair that shaped his oval face.

His face still held that childish nature that one carried with them while they were young and still innocent of death. His lover's face was not yet marred with the lines of worry and sorrow from watching one too many comrades fall in battle, or slowly lose their sanity. That was always the worst after all –losing a comrade to their own mind was something you couldn't prevent. It was an unseen evil. No. Ellisarian was ignorant of all those things. He had fresh eyes to see the world as a wondrous place for adventure, mystery, and love. Oh, and what beautiful eyes he had. Merrick wished he could gaze into those eyes for all eternity without frightening his lover, but when he stared into people's eyes they had the tendency to get uncomfortable and look away and not want to look him in the eye again. No. He wanted to stare into those eyes always.

"Winter Solstice." The prince answered finally. "The way the snow blankets the forest is beautiful. There is something about the crisp whiteness of snow with the bright sun shining down on it that intrigues me. What would your favorite time of year be, my dearest pirate?"

"Winter, actually." Merrick told him with a small smile. "Why do you like Winter?"

"The lands are so peaceful during the Winter days, it's almost as if the entire world has gone silent for a few months." He shrugged. "Why do you like the Winter months? I would think you would like the warmer days so that your days on the sea would be more bearable."

"This is true." Merrick nodded a few times. "I, however, enjoy the later part of the year because there is less rain. Rain I do not like. Snow is beautiful and the cold it bearable for that reason. Spring showers are fine, but the muggy rain of the later months is hideous when on the seas." The pirate smiled as his lover nodded in understanding to him. He began to think of other questions to ask his lover about himself as the prince stared deeply into his eyes. "What was your first word?"

A look of query and amusement crossed Ellisarian's face. "Tree." He answered with a slight blush.

Merrick smiled –of course an elf's first word would be tree. "There must be a story behind your first. Come now. Let me hear it."

After a pause for debating whether to tell the story, Ellisarian shrugged and began explaining everything necessary to understand the tale:

* * *

Ellisarian laughed gaily in the arms of his grandfather. Though, technically, Elrond could not be deemed a grandfather to Ellisarian, it always seemed so to Aragorn and Legolas since he was always their ever watchful father figure when they had been youths.

Aragorn and Legolas watched Elrond play with their one-year-old toddler, as he tickled little Ellisarian gently, but without mercy.

Legolas smiled warmly as he watched Lord Elrond play with their son.

It was so rare that elves bore children that every Elvin pregnancy was looked at as a miracle. That's what Ellisarian was. A miracle. Their miracle.

Unbeknownst to Aragorn when he had been courting Legolas, he later discovered that his lover could bare children. It was quite the surprise to him –to say the least. In all his years living in the House of Elrond, he had never been privy to this information; then again, he had never thought to ask such a question. It wasn't really something he had been pondering between his hunting trips –once he was old enough- and general misbehavior. He had been more concerned with having adventures and breaking the rules that prohibited his choices for fun activities.

The news that they would indeed be able to have a child together was more than pleasing to Aragorn, and so they married and planned their first child.

Now, it was less than three years later and here they were, with Aragorn's step-father Elrond visiting for the holidays. At the moment, little Ellisarian had toddled over to Elrond away from his nurse, to greet him for the second time ever. It seemed, despite the fact that he had only seen Elrond once before, the Lord had made a great impression upon their son.

"Is this celebration intended to include the entire kingdom?" Elrond posed his question to the fathers of the adorable youth in his arms that now nuzzled his neck and smelled him. The Lord tried to keep his face straight and calm, but the tike was drooling, and tickling him with his gentle breaths. He burst out laughing for a moment as he pulled Ellisarian away from his neck and tapped his nose, with a tender smile across his lips. The child looked at him innocently, with wide pale eyes, his hand in a tiny fist over his mouth to try and stop the slobber.

Elrond merely laughed as Legolas did. Aragorn merely looked proudly down at his son and wrapped his arm around his lover's waist possessively. Legolas chuckled and leaned into his husband.

"Yes, it will involve the whole of the kingdom." Aragorn responded to his 'father'. "Why should it not?" He laughed genuinely again.

"Three years as king." Legolas smiled; reminiscing, as he looked deeply into his lover's eyes.

"I am surprised I made it this far." Aragorn quipped, looking only into his lover's eyes as he got lost in their depths. They leaned together and kissed briefly before remembering they had company, as well as a gurgling child that was ever-observant of their actions, still with his fist half in his mouth and drool falling down his cheek.

The table they sat at was a small meeting table in Aragorn's study. All of them sat in comfortable chairs with cushions to comfort their tired bodies –Elrond most of all, for he had just arrived a few hours prior.

"Have you decided on a separate celebration, for just yourselves?" Elrond wondered idly as he stroked his grandson's cheek, making him coo aloud with delight as his face flushed happily.

"Well, I was just wondering if I was going to get the opportunity to baby-sit little Ellisarian that night?" Elrond queried slyly, with a leer toward the married youths. Aragorn took Legolas' hand into his as they both flushed a slightly darker shade of red.

"That would be lovely, Ada." Aragorn told his father.

"Marvelous." Elrond commented with a smile of indifference and knowing. "Is this to be another ball?" Elrond asked with a smile.

"Yes." Legolas answered hurriedly. He had been planning the whole escapade with Aragorn's occasional opinion and plenty of help from the visitors of Gondor who each celebrated different occasions differently.

Seeing how excited Legolas was about his creation, Elrond glanced at Aragorn. He could easily guess that Legolas had gone over the plans for the celebration a thousand times with his husband. Nonetheless, Aragorn smiled –only slightly wearily- at his husband for his joviality.

"What have you planned?" Elrond wondered, and Aragorn's eyes widened slightly, as if questioning his father's sanity of asking such a question. Legolas immediate dove into a full explanation of everything that would be going on that night and every decoration and guest to attend imaginable.

"This one fellow I was talking to that had come from the North explained of how they had decorated trees in the coldest time of the year…" Legolas began to explain, after nearly an hour of aimless talk of other lords and ladies that were attending.

"Trees?" Elrond repeated inquisitively.

"Yes!" Legolas responded eagerly. "Strange, is it not?" He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders as he laughed.

"Any trees?" Elrond continued. This topic was more interesting than of the color banners to represent Gondor without discriminating other counties' representing colors.

"No, not bare ones. They decorate the trees that remain green all year long. Quite peculiar, don't you think?" He chuckled. "I would love to do that here, but why should we cut down a tree that lives all year long, just to place it inside like they do, and decorate it. It is disgracing the image of the tree to cut it down when one is celebrating its symbolism of life even in the worst months of the year."

That made sense.

* * *

A/N: This story is too long to have one continuous chapter, so I have divided the story up into two parts. This memory will continue in the next part. Sorry for any confusion.

Summary:Aragorn and Legolas are happily married and jointly ruling Gondor. Together they had a son eighteen years ago and now he's ready to grow up from childhood and become more independent. His first attempt at this starts when a rather handsome pirate strolls into Gondor under the suggestion of a withering profit. Is our neighborhood-friendly pirate good enough for the son of Aragorn and Legolas?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Part 2 - There is mention of Legolas using a bower to give birth magically - I got this from a story I remember reading a long time ago. For the life of me, I can't find the story or the author in order to give them credit, but I would only like to state that it was not my idea and I take NO CREDIT whatsoever for it. It was a separate website off of another website, and the author had written multiple stories, but I just can't seem to manage to find it again. The references are minimal, but I just want to make sure I said that it wasn't my idea at all.

* * *

A week later after the ball…

"Where are you leading me?" Legolas laughed nervously as he was led around with a blindfold of silk over his eyes.

"You shall see in due time, my love." Aragorn told him, whispering it seductively into his lover's ear.

A sudden harsh brush of cold wind against Legolas' face announced their departure from the castle.

_Where are you leading me, my impish lover?_ The elf thought with a chuckle.

Legolas was led around with Aragorn as his guide for another ten minutes before they stopped, still outside. Aragorn paused teasingly.

"May I remove the blindfold yet?" Legolas pleaded with a begging tone.

Aragorn deftly let his fingers work over the knot of the silk cloth covering Legolas' eyes, but he was careful to make sure his larger fingers didn't tug at the elf's beautiful golden strands. When the obstructive cloth was finally removed from Legolas' eyes, the elf opened his lids half-mast, only to have them shoot open when he caught sight of what stood before him.

It was an Ever Green tree, as had been described to him by that traveler from several days ago.

This tree was more beautiful than he had imagined though. It was so tall… it must have been at least fifty years of age with a height of nearly three times his own. It was a stout tree with wide sturdy branches with soft green long needles.

All over the tree was a layer of tender snow, which had fallen earlier that day during the ball. On more of the sturdier branches were small burning candles on gold plates. From many other branches there hung blown glass ornaments that spiraled and gleamed, or merely were rounded. Other ornaments were gems and jewels of all shapes that dangled from pieces of rope or cloth, so that a branch could hold them. Rubies, diamonds, and emeralds shined as they spun with the breeze of the cool night air. Each ornament shined beautifully, and glistened from the layer of snow that had fallen over the tree earlier. At the top of the tree, at the point of it, was a finely crafted glass piece that was colored of many different hues and shaped –gods only knew _how_ it was done- as a star!

Legolas ogled at the beauty of the tree before he turned back to his lover, his eyes gleaming with utter happiness and slight questioning.

Aragorn merely smiled back on his mate and chuckled. "You couldn't stop talking about that traveler once you'd heard his tale of decorating trees, so I decided I would give you a tree with those beautiful decorations on it. I had wanted to find a tree, but it couldn't be just _any_ tree. I couldn't very well, just leave, though. You would have suspected something of me, so…"

"What did you do?" Legolas asked curiously.

"I asked Ada to pick out the tree. I knew he would find the _perfect_ one." Aragorn commented, then sighed heavily. "The woodsmen that went with him to help unearth the tree and bring it back here came back quite frustrated. They were in a forest full of trees, and Ada couldn't find one that he liked. They ended up being gone for nearly a week before a tree was finally found."

"How did you get it here without me noticing?"

"Oh." Aragorn laughed and shrugged. "That was quite simple, actually." He paused with a smile. "You were so distracted with the party that you didn't even notice what was happening in your own garden." Aragorn laughed softly at the look on his husband's features. He continued:

"I wasn't sure what to have put on the tree, so I called for our friend Master Gimli and several of my favorite glass craftsmen from the surroundings areas to make these fine designs. Of course, Gimli was responsible for the fine beautiful shapes and quality of the jewels." He paused as he watched Legolas look back at the shining, glittering tree that was now catching the moonlight from the unclouded sky. "Do you like it?" Aragorn queried finally.

Legolas spun back around to face his husband again, with another Cheshire smile crawling over his chilled pink lips.

"I absolutely love it!" Legolas declared as he threw his arms around his lover's neck and they kissed passionately.

Before things could progress from there at all, however, a cry was heard.

They pivoted to see little Ellisarian running up to them, or anyway, running as best a two-year-old could run. Shortly after him, Elrond came into view, slightly flushed and out of breath.

He paused to ogle the tree before he explained what had happened to the couple. "Your son was getting quite irritated that his fathers left without a word, and when we were passing the garden entrance to get to my rooms, he became frantic. I'm assuming that he was tapping his Elvin powers prematurely to sense where you two were, and so he took off looking for you."

"And you?" Aragorn questioned, as he raised his brow in amusement toward his breathless Ada. "How did he outrun you?"

"Hush." Elrond replied shortly, and the couple laughed happily.

Ellisarian was now tugging madly at Legolas' pant, begging to be picked up, so his Ada obliged, then took in the tree from Legolas' height, now cooing happily at how pretty it was.

"Twee!" Ellisarian stated bluntly and all the adults broke out into laughter at Ellisarian's first word.

* * *

Merrick laughed heartily at the whole heart-warming tale.

"I can tell you've been told _that_ yarn more than a few times. You even described your slobber and all!"

Ellisarian blushed deeper. "I was just telling you the story the way it was told to me." He pouted afterwards. "What was your first word?"

"I have no idea." The pirate admitted with a shrug. "My father was never one for yarns about my childhood."

"Then why did you ask me?"

"I imagined that you would have a lovely story behind your first word, and you did." He chuckled deeply. "I just desire to know more about you. That's all."

Ellisarian hummed instead of replying. He began to think of the questions circling his mind, and he decided this was as good a time as any to get them out.

"When did you meet Astrolle?" Ellisarian asked him quickly before he could be deterred any longer.

Merrick's face flickered with deep sadness as he gave in. There was no point in trying to avoid these questions any longer. He still wanted to know everything there was to know about Ellisarian, but… he supposed it could wait until later when they were lying together in each other's arms.

"He was… the one that started me on building my second ship. After my first ship had fallen he was on the rescue ship that came to my aid. I had only five other people to help me with that ship at the time, and three died in the attack." Merrick broke off from his story for a moment in reverie. "Over the passing years I lost one other from my original crew to insanity. The only one that still remains with me is Gibbs. The cook once again." He broke free of it and continued. "So, yes, Astrolle was there. He reached down his hand to me in the waters. I was close to death as I grabbed his arm and he pulled me up in a row boat.

"_You're lucky to be alive."_ He had said to me as he wrapped a blanket around me. _"Do you want water?"_

"_Bastards burnt me boat. Killed me crew. I'll kill 'em. I'll cut off their heads and send 'em back to the rest in packages of blood."_

"Of course Astrolle was surprised to hear this from a nearly dead man. He assumed I was delirious."

"And were you? Did you really do these things?" Ellisarian wondered worriedly. He would love Merrick nonetheless, but this was quite a gruesome act even for a pirate.

"No." Merrick shook his head calmly. Ellisarian was relieved. "Not exactly."

This caught Ellisarian off guard for a moment. Horrible images of heads in boxes accompanied his next thoughts until Merrick looked at him with peaceful eyes. He could never imagine Merrick having killed people so brutally. Not his Merrick.

"What did you do?" He asked finally after he could take Merrick's silence no longer.

"Oh." Merrick yelped in surprise and laughed lightly at himself as if he had forgotten Ellisarian was expecting an answer. "Yes, well, with Astrolle's training in sword fighting combined with what I had already learnt from several other warriors of great skill, we were quite the formidable opponents. Understand, my love, this humiliation was quite an oppressing thought on my mind at all times. I was unwilling to think on anything but revenge and I had also yet to kill a man. We tracked the ship of assassins and pillagers for…"

"Why do you not call them pirates?" Ellisarian wondered.

"My love, those were not pirates. Pirates steal with quick fingers so you never know they were there until they're gone. They are silent and graceful with strength and little code for honor and only a code for pirates –do not steal from fellow pirates etc.. These men were killers of the purest form. They did not steal from my ship. They boarded, took over, set fire to it, killed any they could and left while laughing at us menacingly. It was purely for the fun of killing, not for any reason as I found out later from others who had nearly been killed by them. When we finally attacked the ship in question we were given several grand gifts from the local clans as thanks for our services to all. You may not see it as such, but that is how we saw it."

"What happened when you attacked their ship?" Ellisarian wondered tentatively. He wasn't sure he wanted to know such information the way Merrick danced around the topic.

"Oh, of course, back to the story. We sailed a small boat through a thick fog to where we knew they had docked for a short time. Astrolle came up the starboard side and I climbed up the stern. Together we incapacitated the captain after a fancy sword fight between him and I, and the crew dropped their weapons reluctantly."

"Is that all?" Ellisarian demanded in shock. He had expected something much worse. "They just dropped their weapons, like that?"

Merrick thought on it for a long period of time as if reliving the past and nodded afterward.

"The way you made them out, I would think it would take something greater for the entire crew to admit defeat."

"I decapitated their captain." Merrick replied dryly. "You think they would put up a fight against one who could easily kill their captain and take over their ship?"

"Oh." The prince had missed that part. "Decapitated." He murmured.

"Yes. Astrolle and I, then proceeded to tie up all the crew by arms and legs and throw them overboard to flounder to shore as best they could. We spent the better part of an hour laughing at them from their ship as we steered it more toward shore. The Bartula Clan was on shore ready to greet us with big smirks on their faces. They stood up all the men and made them watch as we burnt their ship and let it sink into the sea with whatever had been aboard." Merrick smiled smugly. "That was a wonderful day."

"Did you have no remorse for killing that captain?" Ellisarian whispered carefully. He didn't want to offend Merrick, but he had wondered of such a thing for a while.

"Slightly." Merrick whispered and shrugged. "It was more than two decades ago. I explained to my Ada some of the things I had felt while doing this and he had been quite detached and sorrowful. My father on the other hand had told me to ignore any sentiments that I had for the evildoer. He told me that it was a sign of weakness and that I should numb myself from such things, so I have and I suppose over the years any pain or sadness I felt for seeing the dead body of that man just faded to nothing."

On the inside, Merrick smiled to himself for a moment as he noted that he felt like he was back home telling the local children of his adventures and having them cheer him on with their mothers looking on with smiles. He didn't let his thoughts show, however, for his lover looked a bit too troubled for such silly thoughts.

"Merrick." He whispered softly looking longingly at his lover as they continued their long walk back to his rooms. "It makes me happy that you did not kill all of them and send their heads in boxes to others." Merrick's mouth twitched into a small smile at this –he thought it probably better not to comment that the only reason he didn't do that was because he wouldn't know where to send the heads- and he rubbed his brow tiredly waiting for his prince to finish speaking. "I am only curious as to why you told me all that."

Merrick pondered this as well. "I can only say that it is because I was thinking of it. I was thinking of Astrolle and how we met and it relieves me somewhat to be able to share the stories of my past with you. I want to keep no secrets from you, but as I can see this is not appropriate to discuss, then I will not." He shut his mouth abruptly, not missing a beat in his steps and peacefully walking on. The room doors were in sight now and he was happy to see them. He had never realized how truly long of a walk it was up here when one didn't jump the walls of the courtyard to get in.

"No!" Ellisarian stopped him, stepping in his path and looking up passionately into his eyes. "I want to know about your past. I see the reverie and love you held for Astrolle as your companion for all those years and the respect you had for him. I am sure it was a great honor for him to serve under you and beside you for so many years and I would like it very much if you would tell me more of your youth."

Merrick sighed heavily suddenly. "Yes." He nodded. "I could manage that, but not now. Later perhaps when we are both rested."

Ellisarian himself wasn't very tired at all, but his older companion seemed almost exhausted.

"We have yet to eat. Perhaps that would bring more color to your cheeks, my love." The prince suggested.

Merrick smiled warmly. "Perhaps." He agreed with a small nod.

"I will go find someone to bring us trays of food. You go sit and rest until I return." Merrick took Ellisarian's hands into his, pulling him closer without leaning down. He kissed Ellisarian's forehead softly and smiled down at his lover. The prince only came up to his nose and he smiled at that realization.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He bowed slightly and after Ellisarian punched his chest playfully he walked around him and went to find a servant.

Merrick watched him dash down the hall longingly. He waited until he could no longer see him before he let his features sag and his shoulders as well. He scrubbed at his hair with his hands as he walked to the prince's rooms.

"So tired." He moaned weakly and walked into the rooms.

He laid on his lover's bed fully dressed and frowned.

"So much younger." He murmured to himself. "He is so much younger than I am. I took such a youthful lover. How could this be fate? I am far too old for him, but I can not get him out of my thoughts. His face, his lips, his smell, and oh…" he moaned and licked his lips, "his taste." He groaned with pleasure and let his hand slide to his groin. "I become hard with the mere thought of him. I told him all of the truths from my heart and he has fallen for my heart." He growled deeply in his throat and scrubbed at his face this time. "Astrolle would know what to do with my worries." He felt a tear leave his eye and he quickly wiped it away. "He's not here, you fool!" He told himself. "Figure this out for yourself."

He looked over to the open window on the side of the chamber's walls and smiled. The night was always so beautiful out at sea, but here it was only a screen behind hundreds of tiny lights and buildings that made up Gondor. There was no beautiful setting such as this at sea. It was only the darkness of the waves and cool biting breeze along with a starry night and gorgeous scars in the sky of the occasional wisp of cloud blanketing the moon.

He smelled his mate on the pillow beside his, and smiled. "Oh." He moaned happily. "Yes, this is right." He frowned softly as he continued to gaze at the stars as if Astrolle's voice would answer him from behind their brilliance. "Should I remain here with my lover? And what shall become of my crew? My clan?" He paused. "Or would Ellisarian come with me?" He dropped his voice to silence and closed his mouth.

* * *

The servant was easy enough to find for food. He would do that in a moment after he'd spoken with his father. He was worried for his lover, and his lover took priority over food by far, even if it was for said lover.

"Father!" He barged into his parent's rooms without knocking and immediately regretted it as soon as he saw them. "Oh gods!" He cried out and ran back to the doors, shutting them quickly behind him. He kept his eyes closed, his hands ready to cover his eyes abruptly should he open them and still see his fathers in the midst of intercourse. "Oh gods." He continued to repeat to himself as he slowly leaned back against the doors to their rooms for support. He had wanted advice from his father, but what he had gotten was far too much information than he would ever need. They had not even been hidden by a blanket!

He was readying himself to go find a servant for food when the doors opened behind him and he fell back with a yelp.

His hands shot to his eyes covering them as he laid on the floor in a fetal position waiting to be scorned.

"What are you doing?" Aragorn's voice demanded gruffly. He cleared his voice and Ellisarian heard his Ada come up behind him.

"Ellisarian! Rise from the floors. That is not a proper place to be when we answer the door."

"You really should have knocked as well." Aragorn added, frowning, though their son couldn't see that because he still hadn't opened his eyes.

"You _are_ clothed, aren't you?" Ellisarian asked quickly.

"Yes." They replied dryly in unison.

Ellisarian opened his eyes and stood gracefully, then tried to force what he'd seen from his mind so that he could speak with his father.

"I apologize for just coming in, Father. I assure you, I would never have if…"

"You couldn't have known unless we had told you. Get on with it." Aragorn snapped agitatedly.

Ellisarian decided this irritation was well-founded. He would have been extremely grumpy as well if he'd been interrupted while in the middle of something with Merrick.

"Father, I wanted to talk to you about Merrick, but if this is… what am I saying, of course this is a bad time." He turned and walked away down the corridor quickly.

"Stop!" Aragorn yelled after him and he slowly turned back. "Come here."

His son obliged.

"Come in." He opened the door further and Ellisarian entered. His fathers were dressed simply in silk pants with no evidence of having done anything prior to him entering. Their bed chambers were closed off and Ellisarian was appreciative of this. He did however feel slightly overdressed in his many cloaks and heavy tunic. "Sit." He did. "What's the problem?"

"Merrick is…" Ellisarian was about to continue, but his Ada had sat beside his father and he became timid. "Ada, could I speak with Father alone, please?"

Legolas was taken aback by this, and slightly hurt, but he nodded and stood. He reentered their bed chambers and closed the doors behind him.

"Merrick is very tired, Father." The young prince continued after his Ada was safely out of hearing range, though he doubted he would eavesdrop. "We went out today to the harbor. Did he tell you?"

Aragorn nodded patiently now.

"Well, we spent the day merely riding and talking and he seems so drawn and exhausted from it. I am worried. He was equally as worn last night as well. I am being silly, I think." He laughed at himself as he looked down at the floor, for the first time since he had entered.

"Do not second guess yourself, my son. Your elvish instincts are quite sensitive to these things. I doubt that it is much more than fatigue, however." Aragorn told his son pleasantly. "He has been quite active lately, I would guess. Not only with his ship, his lost friend, and long journey, but also with you." He smirked and Ellisarian only met his gaze. He did not blush as Aragorn had suspected he would and this caught the king off guard. "If you are truly this worried, then we could have our hospital patron look him over and make sure he is healthy."

"I would appreciate this." Ellisarian smiled finally and nodded. "I only want to keep him safe now that he is back with me, Father." He smiled again.

"Ellisarian," Aragorn began, "do you know how old Merrick is?"

"Nearly thirty, I would venture." Ellisarian answered calmly. "Why?"

"Perhaps his fatigue is merely from age." Aragorn guessed and Ellisarian took offense to it slightly. He sat up straighter and Aragorn saw how he took it. "My son, if your estimate is correct, he is at least a decade older than you are and he will tire more easily than you will. It is to be expected. You will have more energy than he will, especially because of how much Elvin blood is in you."

Ellisarian nodded to this. "He has Elvin blood in him as well, Father. He had an Ada once upon a time before he was killed."

Aragorn nodded his head –having already learned this from his discussion with Merrick earlier- as he absorbed this information.

"I still say he is only tired from his travels, my son. Bring him food and drink and baby him until tomorrow and if you find he has more energy tomorrow, then we will leave it be, but if he continues to be tired and worn, then we will convince him to see our nurses."

Ellisarian bowed his head for a while. "Alright. Thank you, Father." Ellisarian stood to leave. "You may tell Ada if you wish. I only wanted a quick fatherly opinion on my worries. I did not want him to fret over something if it was nothing and you can always sort through my words and tell when I over-exaggerate on things and not on others." He strolled to the door when he remembered the meal he had promised his lover –that was the next thing on his list to do. He turned back to his father with a knowing smirk before leaving. "I promise, Merrick and I will go out again next week to make up for this and we'll stay away the whole day again." He shut the door before the king could reply. Aragorn had nothing to say to this.

For his little advice he had achieved yet a second day when he could be free of his duties and free of interruptions. He would only have to more carefully reschedule his work and events for other days this time.

* * *

Half an hour after Merrick's bath Ellisarian came back through the door holding a large tray in his hands. He saw Merrick with only a towel wrapped around his waist and he nearly dropped the whole tray, but recovered easily and set it down on the table.

Merrick watched all this with amusement. "Problem?" He asked casually.

"No." Ellisarian answered –trying to make himself oblivious to his lover's glistening hair, torso, and legs as he stood there stark naked aside from a mere towel- as he wrapped his arms around his slightly damp lover. "Everything is fine."

Merrick smiled brightly at him and he discovered he could see the spark back in the pirate's eyes.

_He was really _just_ tired._ He reasoned again and smiled happily.

"Time for food!" He rubbed his hands together and debated whether he wanted to eat the food or the pirate.

"I can read you too easily, my love." Merrick chuckled as he leaned down to the table and picked up a piece of fowl to stick in his mouth along with a gulp of wine.

_Good; he brought a pitcher of wine and oh, Barrio Whiskey!_ He smirked.

Ellisarian noticed for the first time a necklace around Merrick's throat.

"What's that?" He asked curiously as he came close to inspect the trinket.

Merrick downed the rest of the goblet of wine as Ellisarian held the necklace and examined it, then released it. It was a beautiful silver cross with a vine designed border and a thick round leather braid as a chain. It dangled to the middle of his chest and was very becoming on him, but it looked worn with age and handling.

"It was Astrolle's. He gave it to me before the day of his fight. Bastard was very religious. I haven't a clue what religion, but he prayed all the time."

"What did he pray for?" Ellisarian asked softly, a bit surprised by the blunt retort. Merrick was speaking of this so freely. He couldn't believe anyone could get over a friend's death so quickly, but Merrick was indeed a very strong person. If he had cried at all it had probably been long before he returned.

"He prayed for the ones he killed. He prayed that his god would have some kind of mercy on their souls for whatever crimes they committed. He didn't turn to religion until after we started traveling and after he saw me kill, so I can not be sure where he found a religion he liked. I assumed he gave this thing to me to save my soul, or perhaps he knew his end was coming and he doubted I would be strong enough to remove the cross from his body after he had died." He paused as he filled the goblet again and brought it to his lips. "He was right." He sat gracelessly and drank some more. "Always right." He added afterward his eyes roaming to the ceiling.

Ellisarian was beginning to wonder if Merrick was drunk as he filled his goblet with another pitcher, but there had been no drink in the room before he'd left and there were no extra bottles here now, so he disregarded the idea and sat opposite his lover.

Merrick shook his head like a dog and Ellisarian was splattered with water droplets.

"Hey!" He cried out.

Merrick sat back up and leaned onto his knees. "Good Whiskey." He commented offhandedly. He picked up more of the fowl and chewed it, savoring the taste.

Ellisarian leaned forward to eat as well, but unlike before when Merrick had been in control of the meal, he had wanted to be in control and tell Merrick that he had to finish all he had placed before him or he would refuse sex. He himself had eaten before returning to his rooms.

It was not beginning at all like he had planned. Merrick was holding the cards once again, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't keep his eyes from his lover and having Merrick barely covered at all was not helping his sex drive. Not even the images of his parents together would quell the desires that were clearly forming in his loins as he ate more to give himself something to do with his hands.

He tried to seem oblivious, but Merrick's body was so perfect. Tanned all over even around his genitals and ass… that sweet ass.

"How are you so perfectly colored?" He asked finally and Merrick seemed unaware of having entranced his lover at all. He blinked once, then looked at himself and realized what Ellisarian meant. Ellisarian was quite a pale being, but the pirate captain was a caramel color all over.

"I laid on my ship naked when there was nothing else to do." He answered plainly, then reached for more food. His appetite was catching up with him as far as Ellisarian could tell, but soon after he had devoured a few more fruits and more wine, he finished and sat back.

His towel came loose as he did so and now barely covered him.

Ellisarian watched the towel slide over his lover's thigh eagerly, but when he looked finally back to Merrick's eyes he saw him smirking. He had been watching his lover watch him. He spread his legs farther apart, pulling the towel with him, but still not revealing anything more than his smooth thigh.

As Ellisarian stared he tried to fight the urge to maul this man before him. He had to find something to distract him and the food wasn't working at all.

He didn't realize he had been holding in a breath until his lungs screamed at him for fresh air and he began breathing again quickly to make up for it. Yes, he _really_ should find _something_ to distract himself or he might suffocate himself.

_There!_ He saw a scar over Merrick's thigh. Not very long, but it looked deep.

"Where did you get… or should I ask who you received that scar from?" He cocked his brow up as he pushed a grape into his mouth. He stared directly into Merrick's eyes defiant, by the will of his mind alone, for no other part wanted to play a game unless the game was with Merrick inside of him.

Merrick shrugged. He was quite good at this game. His lover was quite enticing even without realizing it and Ellisarian was much more attractive when he was naturally being his innocent self than when he was trying to fake elusiveness.

He quickly recalled the humorous story of the scar, but he refrained from laughing outright because he wasn't quite sure Ellisarian would find it just as funny.

"A whore who wanted more money than she got and threatened stupidly to take off my most prized possession if I didn't give her more. Well, she missed." He shrugged again as he crossed his ankles then put them casually on the table. His towel slid down to his groin, revealing most of himself except what Ellisarian was looking for and he knew he was torturing his younger lover.

The story only slightly effected the prince. "Do you commonly sleep with whores?" He demanded after he forced his desires back once again. This was a conversation he had been waiting to have for a while and he wanted to pay more attention than his body wanted him to.

"Not recently." Merrick answered coolly.

"How many have you slept with aside from me?" This question was personal. He really wanted an answer to this.

"You aren't a whore." Merrick snapped grimly.

Ellisarian glared at him levelly. He wanted an answer and he wouldn't repeat himself.

Merrick smirked. "Are you jealous?" He laughed out loud. "I haven't kept track. Perhaps a dozen, perhaps less. And you?" He leaned forward skillfully and took an apple from the tray without moving the towel too much.

Ellisarian's breath caught for a moment, but he was determined with his line of questioning. "Two women." He answered dryly.

"Men?" Merrick wondered as he bit into the apple.

"None."

This shocked Merrick slightly, but he absorbed the information and continued. "Why not?"

"Why not men or why not more whores?" Ellisarian asked, slightly cross.

"Why not men? Am I the first man you found attractive?"

Ellisarian paused. "No. You are the first man I desired." He answered shortly. "I had wanted to dominate over the women I was with, but you… you I didn't have that feeling with."

"Why not? You don't think you could or you don't want to?" Merrick asked curiously and he put his feet down and leaned closer.

"I sensed something from you that just made me want to submit and let you take me." He replied, still dryly, but in complete truth.

Merrick leaned back with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Have you been with other men?" Ellisarian demanded as the thought entered his head.

"Of course." Merrick nodded once.

Unwarranted jealousy flared in the young prince –even if Ellisarian knew these lovers had come long before him, he was still jealous. "And how many have dominated you?" The words spilled out faster than he could think them through and he slightly regretted them, but his temper was rising for some reason. Be it jealousy of past loves, or the doubt that Merrick would be faithful, or perhaps the lack of faith in society to keep their hands off of him whether he was otherwise engaged or not… all he knew was that his temper was short and he was taking it out on his pirate.

Merrick didn't answer as he stared at his angry lover. He slipped further off the seat as if to make his tone more personal. "I have had sexual desires in my life. For nearly four decades I have lived…"

Ellisarian's eyes widened. He had been quite off in his guess.

"…and you would not imagine such a man to remain a virgin all that time. In the sense of women, I am no virgin, but it is different with men. I have bedded several, but I have only taken two lovers in my life. People I actually cared about and chose to remember and remain close to for a great deal of time. My first lover was Astrolle." He let this sink in as Ellisarian's features changed to understanding and sorrow that he had been so harsh.

"And the second?" He asked, almost too softly to hear. He also leaned forward to be closer to Merrick.

"You." Merrick answered softly, then he leaned back and took another bite of his apple, almost in spite. He really couldn't be too cross with his lover though, it hurt his own heart too much to do that and he was far too mature for spite.

Ellisarian opened his mouth to apologize and Merrick saw it coming easily. He waved it away without even letting his lover get out a syllable. "I did not say it like that to make you apologize for your assumptions. I spoke only so you understand. This conversation was bound to come about eventually and I am glad that it is through. I only wanted you to know that I do not fuck everything that walks. After speaking with the Oracle I realized that my true love was not meant to be Astrolle and he realized it as well and encouraged me to venture out and find –whomever it be- that I was destined for."

Ellisarian thought on this for a long while. He wanted to shower Merrick with kisses of love, but he had a feeling he was missing something. This talk wasn't over just yet.

"How old are you?" He asked politely.

Merrick was shaken slightly by the change of topic, but bowed his head as he finished his mouthful and answered:

"Thirty-seven." He stated and took another bite of his apple. His eyes lingered on his lover to see if there was shock there in them. Ellisarian paused as he stared at Merrick. "I'm old enough to be your father. Does that trouble you?" He asked honestly with no malice in his voice. "Answer me truthfully please."

"My love, I worried earlier for you because you appeared so tired as of late." He explained. "I took my worries to my father and he set me straight, but he also spoke wise words. You are much older than I am. Practically twice my age now. Father said that because you were older than me that you would get tired much quicker than I will." He paused and took in Merrick's reactions to this. He appeared calm and patient. "I… I told him you were of Elvin blood and he had no other words for me other than that I should not worry about you so and that it was only fatigue."

Merrick remained silent as he looked around the room, organizing his thoughts. He finally turned back to his worried lover and smiled briefly.

"I suppose I will tire more quickly than you will despite any Elvin blood in me, probably because you have just as much Elvin blood if not more and you are younger. Do not worry for me when I am tired. I can manage myself and have for some time now as I already told you, but I do appreciate that you noticed and cared enough to worry your father with this. Astrolle…" He stopped and looked away.

"Yes?" Ellisarian asked cautiously and Merrick met his gaze. "Is it painful to remember?"

The captain shook his head silently. "I do not wish to ramble on about a past lover to you. You are my lover now."

Ellisarian felt hurt and happy at the same time. He didn't want to be compared to an old lover, but he wanted Merrick to be able to speak of anything openly to him. He decided he would endure this little speech because he knew his lover wanted to speak it and he would be brave.

"Please, speak of him. I know you want to."

"Wanting to and actually spilling out me heart to you of him would be two different things, my love." He replied.

"Tell me." He whispered softly and after Merrick gazed into his lover's eyes, he knew Ellisarian really did want to know what he wanted to say.

"Astrolle used to be the one to take care of me. He would silently watch what I did and demand small things of me, such as for me to be careful when doing this, or not to do that, and most of the time I would ignore him and hurt myself or get myself sick. He always knew better. Always right. He told me constantly, but not in a mothering way…" he hesitated a moment as he watched Ellisarian, "in a lover kind of way." He paused again. "I do not mean to make you feel jealous of a ghost, my love. I am merely trying to explain him and perhaps I shouldn't. I only want you to not have to worry for me. You will pick up my habits and hopefully I am late enough in life that you needn't worry for me at all, but if you do worry about me, say so; I will dismiss or validate your worries. Trust me."

Ellisarian nodded after he was finished. He went over their conversation again in his mind. He was very good at remembering whole conversations in such a way. He could not dictate them to another, but in his head they were whole.

"You failed to answer my question." He said finally and Merrick looked up at him with wide wondering eyes.

"Which question?"

"Has another male ever dominated over you? Has Astrolle…?" He didn't finish his sentence and instead stared out the glass window off that room that led to a balcony where it was a prime spot to stare at the stars. Did he really want to know this? Did he really want the answer?

"I will answer and afterward we will leave the topic of Astrolle at rest." Merrick murmured and Ellisarian returned to his gaze. He honestly hadn't been expecting Merrick to answer it. He assumed that was why Merrick hadn't answered it in the first place, but maybe not.

"We can talk about him whenever…"

"No." Merrick interrupted and Ellisarian blinked several times in surprise. "No more after this. Not unless we have to." He spoke more gently now.

"Alright." Ellisarian nodded once.

"Astrolle, though very demanding and strong, had never asked such a thing of me. He was content to be under my body and in my hands. As for the few male whores I have bed, I made myself into a demanding character so no whore would ever assume otherwise. Astrolle and I have not even bedded each other since the Oracle had spoken."

"Why did you never… Did you never want to feel your lover inside you?"

Merrick nodded as he held Ellisarian's gaze. "I wanted it many times, but it wasn't right with Astrolle. Though I loved him more than I could possibly convey in words I was never complete when I was inside of him. When I was just a child my father brought me to the Prophet. She told me I would grow to be a great leader and I would walk my own path, but also that I would walk that path with another and when we were together I would feel the spark of completeness. I would know the feeling when I had it. With Astrolle I did not have it and I could not understand this for the longest time. I think my father saw how incomplete I was because of his many dying wishes, his most urgent was that I see the Prophet again. Then came you, my love."

"Did you… did you feel a spark with me?" He asked curiously, yet bashfully.

"Oh, it wasn't a spark." Merrick shook his head with a small smile. "It was an explosion of passion and love and perfection. I did not know anything could feel so perfect." He leaned closer seductively. "That is the feeling I received from our first kiss."

This shocked Ellisarian. If that was how Merrick had felt during their _kiss_. He could only guess how Merrick had felt when he came.

"I love you, Merrick." Ellisarian whispered after he was through.

Merrick smiled and laughed gently. He leant back and Ellisarian was slightly shocked that his towel had not fallen at all while they had talked.

"As I love you, Ellisarian." He whispered and leaned his arms on the back of the chair.

His chest was fully displayed to Ellisarian, his nipples hardened and his whole body gorgeous. Simple smooth scars every once in a while, but perfect skin aside from those. Even the scars made him more perfect than he already was. This was not the body of a thirty-seven-year-old. This was the body of a god. He couldn't imagine ever being able to fill that god. He didn't think he could.

"Ellisarian?" He asked softly and completely serious.

Ellisarian looked up to him to acknowledge his lover.

"Do you want it?"

"Want what?"

"To be the one inside of me?" He asked as he stared levelly at his lover.

Ellisarian's mouth hung open. His body tensed as he thought about this. He wasn't sure if he could, first of all, then there was the mere fact that this was a god sitting before him, not a mere man.

Merrick stood with a small smile as if ending the conversation. His towel fell, but Ellisarian couldn't focus on anything anymore. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind as a possibility. He hadn't even thought to ask. Merrick leaned down and kissed his ear as he caressed the younger man's cheek. "I am off to bed, my love. Our conversation has depleted me. We shall leave this for later, just come sleep with me now." He kissed Ellisarian's forehead and walked away.

The younger man stared blankly forward. He could scarcely breathe. He wanted to go to his father suddenly, but he couldn't pose this question to his _father_!

He sat there for close to an hour before he regained his wits, stripped himself of his clothes, and walked over to the bed.

Would he be giving Merrick an answer by entering the bed like this? He wasn't sure of anything any longer. He went to his dresser and pulled out a simple pare of pants and wore them to bed as he climbed under the blankets. He wanted to crawl closer to his lover, but he wanted to think also and moving closer to the object of his distractions would not aid him at all.

Sleep finally claimed him and he fell into a fitful rest.

Merrick had waited patiently for his lover to come over. He worried that his question had been posed too soon. Had he told Astrolle he wanted him inside of himself Astrolle would have asked him if he was sure, then ravaged him with the great passion that he was known for with only little hesitation, but Ellisarian was truly having doubts and taking this to heart.

He would have to avoid all sexual activity with the young prince until they had talked about this again or he would just make him more nervous and that would ruin everything for their relationship for a while.

Finally his lover had come to bed, but was questionable about what to do like he had imagined. He did not let him notice that he was still awake as he carefully watched. Ellisarian answered whatever question he needed to answer and climbed in, then having a fight with himself over whether to move closer or not.

Merrick felt cold suddenly as he rolled over sadly. He hadn't felt this sadness since he and Astrolle had decided to sleep separately. They had slept in the same bed for a decade and a half and then he was alone. Now he had at last discovered the person he was meant to share eternity with and he had scared that person off.

After he was sure Ellisarian wouldn't awaken for a while he stood and pulled his breeches back on. He exited the room and began wandering the halls of the castle aimlessly.

Nearly four hours later he was positive he was lost. Once he looked up to the moon and the stars he realized the night was receding. Being on the sea for so long he had become acquainted with the dinky changes of the sky as it progressed toward morn. He guessed it was about three or four in the morning by now.

Quite abruptly Merrick ran into another person. The other person had been coming around a corner and had been so off-balanced they fell to the floor after hitting his unyielding body.

He barely registered it as he looked down at the form of the King's Consort.

"Hello." Merrick murmured numbly. He unfolded his arms from his chest and reached one out to the fallen elf.

Legolas reached his hand up to Merrick accepting the help. With one swift tug the elf was standing with a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." Legolas smiled fixing his loose white blouse and pants. "I am terribly sorry about running into you like that. It was nothing against you."

"Obviously not." Merrick agreed with a nod. "Legolas, was it?" He asked politely, but his voice was dull and weak.

"Yes." Legolas nodded, slightly worried. He began to take in Merrick's withered appearance and he started to worry.

"Very well then. Good morrow, Legolas. Be careful." He walked around the elf, but Legolas jumped in front of him again.

Merrick stood up straighter as he glared into Legolas' eyes, showing his full height against the elf.

"Hold on." Legolas called out, his brow furrowed with worry. "What are you doing out here this early?"

"Walking." Merrick answered with his own brow raised. "And you were running. Now if you'll excuse me." He tried to slide around Legolas, but the elf slipped in front of him yet again.

"No, I mean what were you really doing? Going somewhere in particular?"

"No."

"Did Ellisarian throw you out of the room for doing something?" He asked cautiously. Merrick didn't react at all.

"No." He answered plainly and Legolas could tell he was being truthful.

"Do you need to talk with someone?"

Merrick was getting irritated with all the elf's kindness. He growled a warning to the elf, but Legolas just continued to stare worriedly at him.

"Legolas… Sir. I would really rather you let me alone. I do wish I could speak my thoughts to someone, but the only person I could bare my deepest thoughts to is dead and my thoughts concern your son so I refuse to speak with either him or you, so allow me my time to think on what I must, please!" He snapped finally. He crossed his arms again and continued to walk around Legolas as if they had never run into each other. Legolas turned to watch him walk slowly away.

Such a handsome man with so many problems and ties. He would, of course, need a confidant, but now his confidant was dead and he was toiling over the thoughts he could no longer share with that man. What would become of him if he did not ever share his emotions with another confidant? Why could he not share these thoughts with Ellisarian? _Because Ellisarian is a prince who knows nothing of the world Merrick has come from._ He answered himself.

Ellisarian had only just met him and was only beginning to understand the complex world that was Merrick. He could not confide in Ellisarian without baring his soul and speaking for many hours of all of his past in detail. Astrolle had been there, as far as Legolas could tell, for quite some time, or else he would not have been so respected by Merrick or so mourned.

Legolas turned worriedly back to where he had come from. He had awoken sensing that another was in distress and he had immediately thought it was his husband and when he found it was not he decided to check on his son, then found that he was also alright, but Merrick was not with him so he went searching out the source of the painful cry through his powerful mind.

He walked after Merrick quickly and just strolled silently beside him. If Merrick had to say something he would and if he only needed to think then he could do that as well, but Legolas hadn't woken up just to be shunned away like that.

An hour later when Legolas was really starting to worry that Merrick would never speak to him again, he spoke:

"I am lost. Could you guide me back to Ellisarian's rooms?" He paused as he looked at Legolas for the first time in a while. His eyes were an eerie pale green, no where near up to their normal beautiful color. He appeared almost to be a ghostly figure as he stood there, his skin a shade lighter than the last time he looked. The elf couldn't help but worry and feel a pang of longing toward the pirate. He wanted to help Merrick, but he knew he could do nothing.

Legolas smiled charmingly at the pirate. "Yes, of course." He immediately began to walk in the other direction and Merrick laughed emptily to himself.

_Of course I've been walking for nearly five hours and it was all the wrong direction._ His muscles ached from remaining in that one position across his chest for so long, but like all the other times he ignored the pain as he continued to walk.

They finally arrived at the dividing corridor where both Legolas and Merrick's destinations split.

"You can find your way from here, can't you?" He asked with a helpful smile.

Merrick nodded with a small smile of his own and began walking.

Legolas watched him go for a moment, then went his own way.

Aragorn would sense that he had been away and be cross with him when he returned, but he felt this was a very good reason to leave in the middle of the night. _Poor Merrick._ He thought.

* * *

Merrick entered the chambers belonging to his mate once again and sighed as he saw dawn coming bleakly through the heavy glass windows.

He thought of sliding back into bed and ended up toiling with the idea for a long while then finally slid under the covers of the bed. So soft against his skin. He wished his lover would come closer and banish the cold from his skin.

He felt slightly achy and sneezed quietly. Great! He was sick from wandering around barefoot all night on the cold stone floors. But was it that or something else?

Astrolle would have warned him against that. He frowned on himself. He had depended so heavily on Astrolle without ever realizing. He had thought himself to be ignoring his lover's small worries, but he was actually taking stalk in them after so many years.

He wanted Ellisarian to take care of him, but he didn't think he would. He wanted to whimper like a child as the head pains started slowly.

_Sleep! Sleep!_ He thought. _Before the pain gets so bad you awaken him. He should at least be able to sleep the night through, and he'll wake up to you beside him, even if he doesn't want you now._ The thought pained him that his lover… the one he had devoted himself to and given up Astrolle for… didn't want to be with him. He cried silent tears and couldn't stop them no matter how hard he tried. He was supposed to be strong. Everyone was expecting him to be the strong one and he was already sick. He needed to take better care of himself.

* * *

Ellisarian awoke slowly. He felt a bit chilly. The night had been quite cold. He felt better for having dressed in something before entering the bed, especially since he couldn't wrap himself up in his mate's arms.

He wished suddenly very desperately to make up for any rude behavior he had shown to his mate last night.

He reached out for his lover as he opened his eyes fully.

Merrick was turned away from him with his arms wrapped around himself.

Yes, that's right he must be chilly having gone to bed bare. He looked slightly pale too.

His fingers touched Merrick's skin and he recoiled frightened. Merrick was incredibly cold; almost deathly.

He sat up frightened.

"Merrick!" He cried out as he leaned over him. "Oh, you are as pale as the sheet!" He saw Merrick's face and his hopes fell. "You're sick, my love!" He cried out.

"Cold." Merrick murmured as his half-lidded eyes found Ellisarian. Those weren't Merrick's eyes. Those eyes weren't full of life and power. They were covered –though they were open- and dull.

"Oh, I'll take care of you!" He assured.

"You will?" Merrick asked, slightly shocked.

"Yes! Of course, I will!" Ellisarian felt his forehead and he was burning hot, but his body was so cold. "Oh, Merrick. I must go fetch a servant."

"No!" Merrick cried out reaching for his lover, but stopping his hand mere inches from him and letting it drop in depression.

Ellisarian watched Merrick lose all hope in him, as if Ellisarian would no longer want to be near him or have him touch him at all after their talk last night.

"Oh, my love, please, touch me! I love you! I want you to touch me! I want you with me and holding me always!" He assured. "I will stay with you!"

Merrick needed his assurance first, but he needed someone to help him. He needed his Ada and Father.

First thing was first though. He immediately fell into Merrick's arms, only this time he was wrapping Merrick in his embrace. He pulled the covers back over them both. He lay on his back and pulled Merrick's form between his legs to wrap him up warmly then he pulled the older man's head to his bare chest and kissed his hair lovingly as he wrapped his arms around his mate.

"Never worry; I'm here. You will be fine." Ellisarian guaranteed as he mentally used every ounce of Elvin magic he could muster to call out to his fathers. He squeezed his muscles around his lover tighter as he thought only of his Ada and how much he needed him now.

_Help me, Ada!_ He cried out and felt his sorrow and despair slip into his mental cry.

* * *

Legolas woke up with a cry of pain from his head. He shouted from the immensity of the pain. Aragorn was immediately up and aware of his husband in pain, but only a small tingle of awareness for his son. He worried only for his husband at the moment though.

"Legolas!" He cried out in his deep calming voice. "What is it?"

"Ellisarian!" He shouted still in pain, but it began to dull slowly. He felt he could breathe again and gasped for breath, then looked to his husband fearfully. "Ellisarian needs us!"

Aragorn nodded several times, then helped his husband to stand and dress in a robe before they ran off to help their son, gathering a few servants along the way. Many still rubbed sleep from their eyes, as it was still quite early and the sun barely just peaked over the distant hills to shine any light on Gondor.

* * *

Ellisarian could call out no more. He felt drained from the effort of using his Elvin magic so abruptly and so quickly and without ever using it before, but being slightly aware of it being there in case he was in need of it. This was certainly a time when he was in need of it.

He clutched his lover tightly and kissed him all over his face. He was becoming cold now himself as he shared all his body heat with his very cold mate.

Suddenly there was a rushed knocking at the door.

"Enter!" He shouted quickly and no sooner had the sound left his lips than his fathers plowed into the room looking for him with fear in their eyes. He hated to worry them so, but he did so worry for Merrick.

They did not see anything wrong for a moment, then they saw the tears falling down Ellisarian's face and a very pale Merrick clutched tightly in his embrace.

"I awoke and he was very cold, Ada! Help him! I think he's sick."

Legolas rushed around the bed to stand beside them.

Ellisarian let up on his hold slightly, but Merrick would not. He shook badly from the cold and even Legolas felt it before he touched his skin.

"This room is quite cold." Aragorn noted as he looked around. He saw the open window and growled. "This had something to do with it." He grumbled, but only in a fatherly way as he shut it.

As Legolas lightly touched Merrick's cheek to get him to look up, Merrick gasped and leant into the touch. Legolas knelt beside him, keeping his hand there and they locked eyes again, but unlike last night, Merrick's eyes were now quite clouded and distant. He seemed only vaguely aware of the world around him as it dimmed.

"Oh, he needs warmth badly. Aragorn, tell the servants we need great bundles of firewood for the fireplace in this room, hot water with cloths, hot broth, and more blankets."

Aragorn went quickly to get these things for his son's mate.

After he was gone Legolas frowned worriedly and touched his son.

"Oh, you're cold too."

"I am not ill though. This is only from trying to keep him warm and I did little." Ellisarian was definitely shaken from the whole event. He would be too if he woke up with Aragorn in such a state.

"Are you dressed?" Legolas wondered with a crease in his brow.

"Yes."

"Let me help him, Ellisarian. Go start a fire in the Sitting Room with whatever wood you have left from last night."

Ellisarian hesitantly moved out from under his lover and watched in a pained way as his lover reached quietly out for him, then felt Legolas lay with him and latched on to him like a babe reaching for its mother's milk.

He ran to the Sitting Room and started a fire there, but it was weak and would not last long. He didn't have much wood left and hadn't thought to restock after the events of the previous night.

"This illness was coming." Legolas murmured so only Merrick could hear even though he wasn't entirely there. "You knew it. You felt it even though… you have my son, Merrick. He loves you greatly. I can see it. Any fool could see it. Do not die. Come back to him. He would never be able to survive it if you did not survive this. I know it is a powerful illness and I know this started while you were away, but it was triggered by your depression. Not by the window or the cold of the stones beneath your bare feet last night. It was triggered by your depression, but now… you see? He loves you so much. Maybe you could not see it before, but you can plainly see it now. He nearly chilled himself to the bone. He would have given you every pint of warmth he could if that would make you better. Listen to my voice and come toward my voice. Embrace the light of day. Un-cloud your eyes and look at me. Look at me so that I might know if you will survive the day." He urged.

Merrick's eyes closed and Legolas worried for a moment, but then they slowly opened and a low moan escaped Merrick's throat.

"Ellisarian." He murmured as he snuggled his head deeper into Legolas' chest.

Legolas smiled. "You will be alright as long as my son looks after you. You will realize more and more as the day wears on that he loves you." He kissed Merrick's burning forehead, then his cold cheek and shivered at the contrast.

When he looked up, Aragorn stood at the foot of the bed with a small smile on his face.

"That is your remedy? To have our son look after him with warm food and a hot fire?" He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but he trusted his husband.

"Did you hear all of what I said?"

"Yes." Aragorn whispered hushed. "I understand, I think." He smiled. "The servants are coming and Ellisarian has gone with them after putting on boots and a cloak. He said he had to do something."

Legolas nodded in understanding. "I never really believed it was possible to die when faced with the possibility that the one you are destined for doesn't want you." Legolas whispered with despair as he looked up to his husband. "I would never test it. I only felt a great pain when we were separated in our fights or whatnot. To think Ellisarian could have actually died before when Merrick left…" He bit his lip in worry.

"Ellisarian was in great pain, yes, but he wasn't faced with rejection. He was missing his mate, not facing eternity alone. That must be what Merrick had been feeling ever since he left that prophet of his. He must have thought: 'What if I don't get there in time, or can not protect the one I love?' Then he has to leave Ellisarian after finding him and travel away. He loses a good friend, but gets to come home to his mate, and somewhere along the lines he began to doubt whether Ellisarian really loved him, or wanted him… and his heart broke. You found him in the beginnings of this last night when he could still be coherent with the world." Aragorn explained sadly.

* * *

Outside his room, Ellisarian listened as tears fell from his eyes. He heard his father talking and he hated himself. He had already felt guilty for letting Merrick catch this… cold… or whatever it was when really his heart had been breaking and he had been dying with the notion that Ellisarian did not love him.

He composed himself as best he could, then entered loudly to make sure his parents heard so they wouldn't think he had been listening.

He deposited some of the wood from his arms in the Sitting Room and put the bulk of it in his room beside the hearth.

"How is he?" He asked as he pulled off his gloves and began work with the fire after a nervous look at his mate.

"We'll get warmth back into him and this will pass." Legolas assured calmly.

If his Ada was so positive, then no matter what he had said or not said, done or not done, his Ada had brought back his lover from the brink of death and all that was left to him was to keep his lover alive and once he awoke he would shower him with love and assurances. He had seen the beginnings of what his father had described to his Ada as Merrick had tried to reach out for him and lost the courage for it.

How could he have been so cold to his mate? He had stolen the warmth from his lover's very body without meaning to.

Both Legolas and Aragorn sensed Ellisarian's thoughts as they watched him still in his working with the fire for a great deal of time.

"It is not entirely on you, Ellisarian." Aragorn told him sternly, kneeling beside his son.

"It is!" Ellisarian shouted tears streaming down his face as he turned and let his fists fall on his father's chest.

Legolas watched worriedly as his son beat down on his husband who took whatever pain he received perfectly, showing none of it and pulling his son to his breast and holding him tightly.

"It is my fault. Who else's?" He demanded harshly as his blows softened and he crumbled into his father's embrace.

"This was many things combined, Ellisarian!" Legolas insisted and his son turned to listen to him as more tears came. "He lost a dear friend recently…" Ellisarian took that like a hard blow. This near-death had something to do with the fact the Merrick had lost his longtime lover. "He has to deal with his clan and crew and many other things…"

"But that's not what made him sick." Ellisarian replied coldly. "What made him sick were matters of the heart. Astrolle was his old lover before he went to the Prophet who told him his predestined mate was in Gondor. He broke off with Astrolle then came here and found me and I put strain on his heart by making him protect me and demanding all his attention, then he opens up about his past and lover and he shares… a very intimate detail of his life with me and I close off and he felt rejected and he fell into this. He could talk with no one because Astrolle is dead and he couldn't speak to me because I was being a brat." He held his father's shirt tighter and his father and Ada shared a glance. "I love him! I wish I hadn't caused this! It hurts me to know this is more than just a simple cold. He almost died."

He looked up to his Ada suddenly, his moods swinging from right to left in an instant.

"You saved him!" He wiped his tears away, his breath coming in short gasps of air. "Oh, Ada, thank you!" He embraced his Ada suddenly. "Thank you!"

Legolas pulled him away. "You may have caused it, but the only reason he survived until now is because you spoke. You declared your love for him and held him and it made him better!" Legolas told him. "I merely spoke to him more of your love to keep him here and convince him."

Ellisarian felt a cold grasp his wrist and looked down to see his mate's loose hand twined around his wrist to keep him close, though his eyes were shut and he was definitely asleep.

"He loves you, Ellisarian, or he would not have survived the night and you love him or he would not have survived this long."

Ellisarian nodded understandingly. "Thank you." He whispered, barely audibly.

Legolas slid out from beside Merrick and joined his husband. They watched as Ellisarian knelt at Merrick's bedside and held his hand as he began to inaudibly talk with him of his love and how sorry he was.

Aragorn and Legolas kissed briefly and left their son alone after they'd made sure of the servants bringing plenty of the items they'd requested.

* * *

Slowly the items his Ada had ordered filtered into the room and the fires the servants had started made it quite warm in there.

As the blankets and food sifted in at random times, Ellisarian took care of these things. He threw more blankets over his lover to keep him warm. He stoked the fires in each hearth. He dipped cloths in hot water and pressed them around his mate's face to keep him warm and keep his forehead bathed in cooler water.

All the while Ellisarian made sure to maintain his hold of Merrick's hand every moment he could spare and he spoke soothingly of his love for the man and what they would do when he was well again.

Even with the room as warm as it was, Ellisarian felt his lover's face and found it was still quite cold. He began to worry and thought quickly of what he could do to help his mate.

He suddenly remembered when he had woken up and held Merrick in his embrace. Merrick had profited from his body warmth before, perhaps it would help now as well.

He would not hesitate with the love he wanted to shower on Merrick. He loved him too greatly to risk this same thing happening again. He promised himself he would never relent in his love for his mate. Never.

After stripping down to only his pants he lifted the covers and saw Merrick shiver for a moment, then he lowered them again and felt enveloped in a volcano. Oh, it was unbearable. How could Merrick not be burning up by now?

Reaching out slowly he wrapped his arms around Merrick's neck and shivered. He was so cool, but it was a welcome coolness compared to the heat of the room and blankets. He pulled closer, pulling Merrick against himself completely to pull all that cold away from his lover's body and pull it into himself to cool off.

Merrick unconsciously wrapped his arms around Ellisarian and Ellisarian gasped at the pleasure he felt. He had been sweating before, but now… now he was content and perfect and he found himself falling asleep from the stress of his mate's near-death.

* * *

_Oh, so warm…_ Ellisarian thought idly. His eyes snapped open when he realized the body next to his was no longer ice cold like before. He also noticed that he was no longer holding Merrick. His lover was holding him and his head rested against Merrick's warm chest.

A hand slowly stroked Ellisarian's hair and the youth indulged in the touches with a moan.

"Thank you for taking care of me." Merrick whispered into his lover's ear.

"Oh, my love!" Ellisarian called out. He moved closer to Merrick's face and kissed him deeply, catching his mate off guard.

Merrick was hesitant of what to do at first as his lover caressed his tongue urgently, trying to get him to respond. He held Ellisarian's arms tightly in his hands and pulled him as close to his body as he could manage while pushing back with his tongue against the younger man's.

They finally separated when the need for air became painfully obvious and they gasped at air as they stared at each other.

"Oh, Merrick! My love! I was so worried. You caught me off guard last night. It wasn't anything to do with you. To me you are a god. You are so perfect and beautiful and strong. Strong. Always strong. For me you are the bravest man alive. My only delay in answering you was my initial surprise and… I didn't think I could fill you as you fill me and… I… I didn't want to disappoint you and…"

"Breathe, my love." Merrick told him calmly with a small smile. "You missed the point I was trying to make and I think that is what hurt me the most. We were meant to be together. Nothing you could do or lack in doing would ever make me stop loving you or ever be disappointed in you. I am a virgin in the aspect of ever being entered and I want you to be the only one to ever have all of me in such a way. I wanted to make sure you knew that I had reserved such a thing for you. I want you to know that you own me. You say I am a god. Well, I am your god, Ellisarian. You own all of me. I love you and I wanted you to know that and never doubt it."

"Oh, yes, Merrick. You went out on a limb and I missed what you meant to say. I hurt you in the process and I am deeply pained that I had done such a thing. I want only for you to know the very same thing. I want you. I want all of you and you have all of me and you say I have all of you. I am a fool, but I am your fool and I promise you I will never hesitate in expressing my love for you again."

Merrick buried his face in his mate's neck and kissed it tenderly. "That's good to know." He murmured as he held Ellisarian tighter to his breast.

"I love you, Merrick. With all of my heart, I love you!" Ellisarian kissed Merrick's mouth gently.

"It is good to hear you say that, my love. You have no idea what a relief it is to hear those words." Merrick sighed contentedly.

"What time is it?" Ellisarian asked as he looked around at the dark room.

"Dark." Merrick answered simply.

Ellisarian looked up and around the room. The fire was still roaring and the broth had been taken away uneaten along with the old cloths and water bowl.

"The servants came while you were sleeping and they took the things you used to take care of me." Merrick whispered lovingly. "Thank you, again."

"No trouble at all." Ellisarian told him with a smile as he slowly sat up. Merrick wanted to whimper as his prince pulled away, but he took a deep breath and decided to be strong like his lover wanted him to be. "I am just going to get a servant to bring us something to eat." He assured and Merrick sighed heavily, his hand laying lazily on his belly and his other under his head as his watched the younger man timidly leave the room.

A knock came to the door suddenly and Ellisarian was startled by it.

He opened the door and saw his Ada and father standing there. He smiled broadly at them. They each carried a smaller tray of food in with them.

"How are you feeling?" Legolas asked as he balanced the food on one of his hands and caressed his son's cheek with the other.

"Everything is perfect, Ada." Ellisarian answered with a healthy smile as he took the tray from him and walked back toward his bed chambers while humming an old Elvin lullaby from his childhood. "Merrick, Ada and Father are here to visit and they brought food!" He laughed and Merrick snorted.

"They've been bringing food down here every hour on the hour since midday." He grumbled. "If I have to drink any more soup or broth I truly will be sick." He growled as he saw the contents of the tray.

"It's good for you!" Legolas defended with a frown as he walked in with Aragorn behind him trying to suppress a smile.

Ellisarian gave Merrick his tray and took Merrick's tray for his own.

"I like soup." He declared as he began to eat greedily.

Merrick –more than pleased to not ever eat soup again- began work on the fowl on Ellisarian's plate.

Legolas was frowning down on them, but Aragorn's touch to his shoulder made him give up and just gaze upon the two lovers that had obviously resolved whatever problem had separated them the night before.

* * *

Merrick sat alone in the hot bath, absorbing as much as he could. His lover had been called to early night practices and lessons which he had argued over and griped about, but eventually attended.

He wrapped his arms around himself and leaned his chin onto his knees.

_I wish he were here._ He thought to himself sadly.

Suddenly, as if by magic, his mate burst through the door quite aggravated and tense. He held several books, a satchel full of quills and ink along with maps, and his sword at his side.

Merrick's head shot up to watch him as he dropped all of his books, satchel, and sword on the floor, then quickly stripped himself of all of his clothes and sank into the hot bath with his mate.

"Oh, blast those bastards for demanding me to attend lessons!" He draped his arms around Merrick and let his worries float away. "Oh, I've been waiting for this for hours." He moaned pleasurably as he pressed his organ against Merrick's.

The friction did wonders for his sexual drive.

"Merrick…" He moaned, sliding his tongue over the main artery on his mate's neck. "Make love to me." He begged and Merrick smiled wickedly.

"As you wish, my prince." He laughed gently as he pulled Ellisarian into his lap and began his ministrations on the elf in his grasp. He prepared the elf's entrance as he suckled a nipple tenderly, then with a playful nip.

Ellisarian cried out with pleasure. The oily water helped their joining as Merrick pushed into him. He arched his back in ecstasy as he met Merrick's thrusts against his prostate.

"Oh! Merrick!" He cried out passionately as the pirate continued to hit his sweet spot over and over, causing stars to shoot over his vision.

His lover then licked the shell of his ear to the point causing him to lose all coherent thought for several moments. Oh, gods, was he ever sensitive, right… _there_!

"Lord Merrick! Robins…!" Gibbs burst through the door to the bath room with Legolas and a very disgruntled servant following closely behind with words of anger on their lips that died upon seeing the lovers together.

They all stopped dead in the doorway as they saw the couple together, though thankfully the soapy surface of the water hid their eyes from seeing anything.

All the people at the door quickly turned around with blushes.

"My apologies, my Prince!" The servant called blushing furiously.

"We tried to stop him, Ellisarian!" Legolas yelled while turning away as he walked further into the Sitting Room.

Merrick and Ellisarian groaned angrily with slight blushes as they pulled apart now that the euphoria was lost.

"What is the meaning of this, Gibbs?!" Merrick shouted ferociously as he stood from the bath, grabbed a towel from a shelf and helped Ellisarian out as well.

Ellisarian rested against the tub with the towel wrapped firmly around his waist as his mate went to sort out their interruption. He felt drastically less willing to continue what they had been doing.

"Captain!" Gibbs turned to his half naked captain fearlessly. He was sorry for interrupting, but he obviously thought his reasons were justified.

"What is it?" Merrick asked more calmly now. The servant had left, embarrassed, and now only Legolas remained to watch the discussion. He wanted to check on his son after this was through.

"Robins was separating the firewood and gun powder barrels 'cause it been thrown about in the sea storm last night, Sir, when some Land-wrought threw a fire torch into the storage room."

Legolas gasped in fear.

"How bad is he? What happened?" Merrick demanded. His eyes lit heavily with the revenge plans.

"We caught the whelp that tossed the torch, but he be refusin' to talk. We called for help to put out the fire. Thankfully it never reached the gun powder or the ship wouldn't still be afloat, Sir. Robins had bad burns. We tended to his wounds and wrapped him up. He'll survive best I can tell." He finished.

"You still have the bastard that did it?" He snapped hatefully.

"Ai, Sir!" Gibbs nodded. "He be stubborn though. We roughed him up a bit, but thought we should leave the brunt of it for ya, Sir." He declared, standing tall.

"Good work." Merrick bowed his head in thought. "Where is Robins? I'll be wanting to see to him first, then I'll take care of this stubborn whelp."

Gibbs nodded in agreement. "Robins is at the Prowling Wolf, where we used to stay. He's in a bad way, Sir. Ya always had the…" He gestured with his hands for a moment, wiggling his fingers for emphasis.

"Ai, yes, yes." Merrick interrupted and Gibbs caught the meaning. He didn't want to talk about it here. "Wait for me at the entrance to the castle. I shall be along in a moment." He ordered and Gibbs was off.

Legolas seemed both intrigued and worried. He stepped closer and Merrick walked the other way.

Ellisarian exited the bath room with a gloomy expression. Not only had he been interrupted during a moment of great passion between his mate and himself… not only had his father been there to interrupt… not only had a crew member of the Santeria seen them together… but now Merrick was leaving him alone again. He glanced up at his Ada, as if pleading with him to stop such interruptions before they could progress next time.

"I'm sorry." Legolas whispered as he stroked his son's hair. "He slipped through my fingers and I wasn't about to maul him. I only just noticed him as he rounded the corner toward your rooms." He explained.

Ellisarian nodded in understanding. "That's alright." He whispered sadly.

"I am sorry." He told him as he kissed his forehead affectionately.

Merrick reappeared in the Sitting Room fully dressed. He strode right up to Ellisarian and kissed him deeply. "That was amazing." He whispered tenderly. Ellisarian's face fell. He rested his forehead against Merrick's collarbone.

"It was ruined." He mumbled.

Merrick pet his hair. "It is nothing that can not be finished later." He reassured. "That experience is one I would love to repeat again and again." He paused. "Except for the interruption in the middle."

Ellisarian's mouth broke into a smile.

"Alright?"

"Alright." He nodded and Merrick kissed him again.

"Good. I must be off now, but I will return as soon as possible. Go to sleep and I will join you before morning comes." They kissed again and Merrick left, his cloak swirling behind him.

"I love you." Ellisarian called out before he was through the door and Merrick's body stilled, then turned and smiled lovingly back at him.

"And I love you." He replied emotionally.

* * *

That next morning.

Ellisarian dressed in a plain tunic and breeches with boots, but couldn't bring himself to really want to face the day.

He had woken up alone and desperate for a kiss or some morning lovemaking, but his lover was nowhere to be found and there was no trace of him having been there before he awoke.

He had just picked up his books for his morning lessons when a knock came to the door.

"Go away!" He shouted, but the door creaked open anyway.

Ellisarian felt his blood rush to his face. Who would dare ignore his order?!

He stormed over to the door and threw it open.

A man servant stood there fidgeting from foot to foot.

"What?!" He demanded snappishly.

"Uh, my Prince, Lord Merrick…"

"What about Merrick?" Ellisarian interrupted the stuttering servant.

"He, uh… uh, he…" He managed to point down the hall and Ellisarian quickly stepped out into the hall. Worry covered his face as he saw his mate leaning weakly against the wall, half bent and growling hatefully at the clump of servants that stood around him offering him help.

"Get away!" He yelled, frustrated beyond belief.

Beside Merrick on the floor was a small puddle of vomit. Merrick wiped his mouth, then looked up and groaned seeing Ellisarian standing there.

"Damn it! It's daytime already, isn't it?" He groaned again.

"Merrick!" Ellisarian cried out as he caught his mate before he fell to the ground.

"I swear… I'm not sick." He promised weakly as he leaned against Ellisarian for support.

"Yes, you are!" He disagreed as he motioned for the servants to clean up the mess and leave them alone.

"What are you talking about, 'Lord Merrick is sick'?" Ellisarian heard his Ada's voice holler from around the corner as a servant appeared, obviously having retrieved the royal couple.

Ellisarian groaned in annoyance. He wanted to take care of his mate on his own. If Merrick was so sure he wasn't sick, then it must be something else and he wanted to question him… _alone_.

Legolas and Aragorn rushed over to their son and his mate as they noticed them.

"What has transpired?" Legolas asked, worry evident in his voice.

"I don't know." Ellisarian answered exasperatedly. "When I find out, I will inform you, Ada." He told him firmly as he swept Merrick up into his arms and slammed his door shut behind them with his foot.

Legolas was taken aback by his son's rudeness. Aragorn put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"He wants to settle this alone, with his lover. Let's let him come to us." Aragorn coaxed. Legolas nodded with a final reverent look at the door.

* * *

Ellisarian placed Merrick down on the couch and his mate looked up at him with hazy eyes.

"What happened?!" Ellisarian demanded loudly as he gestured in an aggravated way with his hands.

"Sit." Merrick ordered as he painfully sat up.

Ellisarian plopped down onto the couch beside him.

"I have more magical blood than I would care to admit. I myself am not sure of the depth of it all. I don't get all of it from my Elvin blood either. Anyway, putting it all together, I can perform the magic of healing others."

Ellisarian's eyes widened. "Really?"

"I wouldn't lie." Merrick replied coolly. He took a few labored breaths. "So I first went to Robins, but he was far worse off than I ever could have imagined. Burnt from head to toe. He'll still have scarring, even after all the magic I poured into his wounds to heal him. I don't use magic often because it causes me pain to do it. I used so much that it just caused me a huge head pain and my stomach pushed me to vomit everything I've eaten within the last twenty four hours. So I'm not sick. It's just something that will pass. I'm sorry I worried you. I had stopped to rest at the Prowling Wolf after I finished my business with the prisoner, and I just slept. I didn't wake up until recently and I am terribly sorry."

Ellisarian opened his mouth to coo Merrick and tell him everything was fine, but instead he merely embraced his lover and kissed him all over, except for his mouth.

Merrick respected this and smiled as he accepted the love.

"Don't be sorry. Will he be alright?"

"Yes. Thankfully."

"That is such a wonderful thing you did for him to cause yourself pain just to heal him." He kissed him more.

Merrick chuckled. "I would do the same for any of my crew. Loyal bastards. Anyone who's crazy enough to follow me all over the seas and face death in the face every day deserves my loyalty in return." He replied.

"That's an amazing power you have. Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"The need never came up." Merrick mumbled as he scraped his hand through his hair. "It's not some all-powerful gift though. It has limitations. I can't bring people back from the dead, and I can't cure illnesses, nor can I heal myself."

"You're wonderful." Ellisarian told him with a warm smile.

"Don't you have lessons to get to?" Merrick asked with a small smile. Ellisarian groaned at Merrick for reminding him. "You must take the roll of king from your father one day." He whispered. "You will need these lessons. Trust me. Take it like a man."

Ellisarian nodded several times, then stood, picking up his abused books from the floor and opening the door to his room.

"I will return later on in the day." He called out and Merrick nodded to him.

"Have fun."

The prince rolled his eyes as he shut the door and passed his patient parents.

"If he'll talk to you, you can ask what went on." Ellisarian told them with a small smirk as he continued down the hall.

The king and consort shared a glance before walking over to the door and knocking.

Merrick opened the door, having already divested himself of his shirt and cloak. His glistening body leant against the frame of the door haggardly as Merrick answered it with an alluring smile.

"Yes, your Majesty's?" He answered politely, with a raised brow.

Aragorn merely smiled at the pirate. He felt he had so much in common with the man that only a glance into his eyes could show him who he used to be.

"Later in the day, after you've rested, would you mind joining us in our chambers for midday luncheon?" Aragorn asked, a steady smile across his face.

"Of course." Merrick bowed his head to them and smiled at Aragorn as he shut the door.

* * *

Ellisarian was finally released from his accursed classes in mid-afternoon. He had hoped to be released earlier, but all of his daydreaming of the object of his affection had cost him precious hours.

He hurried back to his rooms, but as he rounded that final corridor he saw a half bandaged man being helped down that same corridor toward him.

The man stopped before him and tried a painful smile.

"So you're the one that took our captain from us." He accused and Ellisarian was speechless. "Do ya even want him to be a captain or do ya want him to be some kind of dog at ya side while ya rule in this stone graveyard?" He hissed angrily. "He's a captain! A man of the sea! A god! Ya can't tame him… and yer only ruining us by trying." He gestured for his friend and they hobbled off.

Ellisarian was speechless. Was he holding Merrick back from what he wanted to do? Merrick had told him he wanted to remain by his side.

He rushed to his rooms and found Merrick pacing in front of the open balcony doors as the cool breeze caressed his tousled hair. A roaring fire snapped and crackled on the hearth as he caught sight of Ellisarian and froze.

"Oh, gods." He murmured and scrubbed at his hair aggravated. "We need to talk." He stated finally as their gaze leveled.

"Who was that?" Ellisarian asked gently. He shivered and Merrick quickly closed the balcony doors and locked them.

"That was Robins. He came to tell me he had to resign. He told me he would be useless on a ship. He couldn't uphold his share of the duties. He isn't even sure if he'll ever be able to walk properly again and he would be useless in a fight."

"Oh, no." Ellisarian frowned worriedly as he approached.

Merrick nodded a few times, agreeing. "Terrible. I know. I am in quite a predicament now. I'm two crew members short, a first mate, and a lookout."

"Well, there are plenty of sailors around Gondor." Ellisarian offered, trying to help. "You could hold auditions or…"

Merrick turned on him was a furious glare in his eyes. His frustration was almost all brought out on Ellisarian in that moment, but Merrick caught himself and calmed drastically. "I'm sorry, my love. It isn't that simple however. If I put out the word that I need men, then I will be putting a target on my crew for attack, showing that we are weak. No. I'll have to go back to my homeland to find proper loyal crew members." He declared and began biting his bottom lip adorably as he plopped down onto the couch.

"Are all your crew from your clan?" Ellisarian asked fretfully.

"I forged my crew by coming across men who were the best of the best at what they do. I trained them for hard long years, or merely knew of them for years and had them finally join the crew, but all the members were part of a clan and no member of my crew has ever not belonged to a clan." He sighed exasperatedly. "No one in Gondor could possibly fit my qualifications. No. I'll have to travel home and handpick two or more members for my crew. I can't go on short-handed."

Merrick looked up to Ellisarian knowing he wouldn't take it easily. His lover stood there somber and broken in demeanor.

"Oh, my love." Merrick groaned in pain from the tears he saw.

"You promised." Ellisarian whispered, trying to keep his voice from cracking.

Merrick nodded. "I did."

"Your friend Robins said I was holding you back, Merrick." Ellisarian told him and Merrick's gaze shot to his with fury for what had been said to his prince.

"What?"

"Am I holding you back from your dreams?" Ellisarian demanded, more sternly now.

"No!" Merrick denied as he approached.

"I don't want to make you sad. I want you to have all you can have. I love you. If you want to sail, I want you to sail." Ellisarian told him firmly as he clutched Merrick's shirt in his fist tightly, staring intently into his eyes. "If you must go, then go!" He ordered, his eyes blazing.

Merrick leaned forward and kissed Ellisarian passionately. "I have all I could ever ask for in my arms, right now." He declared and Ellisarian smiled.

"What about this trip?" He asked and Merrick's eyes saddened.

"Do you want me to give up my clan?" He asked seriously. "I will if you ask me to. I will stay here, happily by your side for as long as you rule."

Ellisarian gasped, realizing Merrick actually meant these things and would wordlessly give up his entire past for him.

"No." He answered finally. "Keep your clan." He cried out as an idea struck him. "Merrick! I know you must leave… but take me with you! I will go with you on your journey and I will watch you and learn how to sail and how you manage your clan and we can be together!" He smiled gleefully.

Merrick's mouth hung open as he began to think of these things. "Your fathers wouldn't…"

"You don't know they'd deny us!" He interrupted desperately.

Merrick sighed in resignation. "We shall ask them then." He smiled warmly on his lover.

* * *

"No." Aragorn stated firmly. Legolas held his hand as they sat in court on their thrones. They both frowned deeply on their son for even suggesting the idea.

"Why?!" Ellisarian demanded.

"The dangers!" Legolas interrupted. "Merrick has been doing these things his entire life and even he returns wounded from these travels!"

"Though I would be there to look out for him, your Majesty." Merrick added as Ellisarian held his hand tighter in desperation. He, himself, didn't want to endanger his mate, but he knew it would not be too difficult to protect his lover, his crew, and himself all in the same breath… so why not take his lover with him if it would bring his prince happiness to do so.

"The answer is still, no." Aragorn told them. "This is far too reckless and dangerous for a future king."

"Begging your pardon, Sir, but isn't charging head first, outnumbered, at an army of orcs rather reckless?" Merrick spoke bravely, referring to Aragorn's past, and Aragorn's gaze hardened.

Ellisarian was shocked by his lover's rude words to his father, but he was even more shocked that Merrick was so determined to have him come with him. When Merrick had agreed to let him journey with him as long as his parents agreed, he honestly hadn't expected his pirate to put up too much of a fight over the decision one way or another. It was wonderful and astonishing to watch his lover demand that they go together. He guiltily felt a surge of arousal at his mate's show of dominance, but he forced the growl away, to keep his parents from noticing in the least.

"Why could one of your crew not go in your place?" Aragorn questioned sharply.

"Again, my King, I beg your pardon, but I am captain of my crew for a reason. I have no first mate to go in my place and no other man of my crew is fit to organize such an event. I can not trust anyone else to pick out men I must to rely on in a battle to watch my back. If a faulty new member were to be brought on board and then to cause the death of another of my crew… I couldn't bear it." He finished and Ellisarian found sense in this. He wouldn't trust many to fight at his back either. "Just as I'm sure you would prefer to have your consort fight at your back than merely a guard." Merrick compared with a straight face.

Aragorn did find sense in this. He found that Merrick was becoming more and more like himself while remaining quite different, but he had to think about his son first and foremost.

"No." He announced after a great deal of thought. "Ellisarian will remain here and I will not hear any more of this."

He and Merrick were caught in a heavy stare as Ellisarian fought the urge to shout and curse him parents. Merrick merely turned to Ellisarian and kissed his forehead. He caressed his face, and tried and failed to smile.

"Goodbye." He whispered lovingly.

Ellisarian glared hatefully at his fathers, then ran from the court toward his room with his Elvin speed.

Merrick stood there a moment longer as if his mind were elsewhere, then he sighed heavily and turned his back on the king rudely, making his way from the room.

Aragorn released the breath he had been holding once they were both gone. He rested his head in his hand and leaned over to Legolas.

"Tell me I did the right thing." He whispered. Legolas squeezed his shoulder and kissed his hand tenderly.

"They will be reunited when Merrick returns in another month, just like before." Legolas told him sweetly. "Fear not."

* * *

Merrick rode down to the port without even glancing back. He couldn't bare it. He had forced all emotion from himself in that hall to keep from running after Ellisarian to be comforted in his arms. It would only make their parting all the more painful to hold him again.

His crew was already halfway there on the road, waiting for him to come along, so he rode alongside them and they were a caravan again.

He spoke briefly with some of them and most in general were disappointed that the prince wouldn't be joining them because they knew how much Merrick loved him.

They arrived at the port several hours later and they all stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Ellisarian standing there in his thick cloak on the dock, beside the ship, his horse standing a few feet from him.

Merrick rode over to him and dismounted as his crew waited at a respectful distance.

"I won't allow you to leave without a fight." The prince stated determinedly.

The crew didn't know what to think.

Merrick's face was as stone for several long moments, then he smiled. "I would have been surprised if you had." He paused, a smirk curving his lips. "Get on the boat."

Ellisarian laughed and wrapped his arms around Merrick lovingly.

The crew poked fun at them, then welcomed Ellisarian happily to the crew.

They all boarded the ship and it took less than an hour to prep the ship for take off. The two horses that belonged to both Merrick and Ellisarian were safely stowed below deck and all was well with the supplies.

They began to sail off with Merrick guiding the wheel some time later.

"What should I do?" Ellisarian asked, quite excited, standing just beside his lover as he watched his regal form steer the ship into unknown territory.

Merrick looked up to the crow's nest and Ellisarian looked up as well. "You'll get a better view of everything from up there and you'll be able to be my lookout. Just yell down if you see a storm, or any boats ahead, or perhaps just if you see birds because they signal land ahead."

Ellisarian nodded several times. "How do I get up there?"

Merrick steadied the wheel with a knotted rope, then climbed up the cargo-net with Ellisarian to the top where he helped him into the nest and showed him what things were from up there.

"That's where I'll be and the crew will come up here at times to let down the sails, or in storms you'll have to get down and I'll guide us with a compass and they will tie up the sails." He explained.

Ellisarian absorbed all of this. "Fantastic. I'm thrilled I came." He leaned over to Merrick –partially because of the cold, partially because he loved being close to Merrick. "But I'm mostly happy because I get to share your passion with you." He kissed him once and Merrick smiled brilliantly.

"Oh, this will be so much more enjoyable with you here." He paused to think. "What about your fathers? They shall be furious."

"Yes." Ellisarian nodded sadly. "I suppose they will be. How long will we be gone?" He felt a pang of guilt for having just deserted his fathers, but _he_ knew that he was coming back and somehow… being with Merrick made all that guilt melt away and all the trouble he would be in later seemed so utterly worth while.

"Depends."

"On what?"

"How long you want to take to explore the world." Merrick replied seriously.

"Honestly?!" Ellisarian questioned almost hysterically. "We can go to the places that you've been?! The places where you learned how to dance?!"

"Wherever you want." He chuckled. If learning to dance brought this level of happiness to his lover, then he would be happy to teach Ellisarian a _special_ dance. "I'll give you a map and you can mark out wherever you want to go tonight, after we dine. You can ask me what each place is and decide where to go."

Ellisarian became even more enlivened. "This shall be the best moments of my life. Of our life!" He cried out and kissed Merrick more powerfully.

"Tonight." Merrick promised. He grabbed a stray rope and slid down it to the deck. Ellisarian wondered if he had hurt his hands, but realized he was wearing gloves and he decided he would get a pair for the next day. He pulled his cloak around him more tightly and began looking around at the beautiful blue waters that surrounded them as the shores of Gondor sank away into the distance.

"I don't want this to be a short journey. It will probably be the only adventure I ever have outside of Middle Earth and I want it to last as long as we have the supplies for it." He told himself, firmly. "I love you, Merrick." He whispered into the wind.

* * *

"I can not believe him!" Aragorn shouted with fury. "How dare Merrick defy me like this and take Ellisarian with him?!"

"Aragorn." Legolas reasoned sadly. "It wasn't Merrick's idea. The servants saw Ellisarian jump out of his window and climb the courtyard walls, then take his horse from the stable and ride away." He paused. "He was going after Merrick."

"I've sent out all of the ships we could spare to find them!" Aragorn announced with anger seamed into his voice.

"What will we do if they can not find Merrick's ship?" Legolas queried, fearfully.

"We will pray and hope that I did not frighten our son away for all times from Gondor." Aragorn whispered desperately as he sank onto his bed, depressed.

* * *

Nearly two years later, the day before Ellisarian's birth anniversary…

Legolas sat depressed, on his throne beside his husband. The first time Ellisarian's birth day went by without any appearance from him had been quite painful and the year between then and now didn't seem to have dulled that pain at all.

"Your Majesty's." A courier came rushing up to the numb couple, and they looked dejectedly at him. He gulped. "They have returned." He murmured, his throat quite dry and his voice soft.

"What?" Aragorn asked, tired and uncaring. Only his slight annoyance from his interrupted thoughts had caused him to utter any kind of response.

Suddenly the large reception doors burst open, their hinges groaning under the sudden pressure, and all in the hall went silent.

In strode Merrick and Ellisarian, hand in hand as they walked fearlessly into the hall.

They walked as if all were right. They walked as if neither of them had left for two years without word.

They both wore odd clothes of different races. Scarves covering their hair and necks as if they'd come from the desert. Ellisarian's usually pale skin was a rich tan, almost as dark as Merrick's. Their ears were pierced with metal and each wore a metal casing around the shell of their ears, with character engravings shining in gold on the silver casing.

A sword hung at Ellisarian's waist and a bow was over Merrick's shoulder with two sickles hooked into his belt. Merrick's bare forearm now bore a tattoo of black images around his wrist. Beneath one eye a stripe fell in the shape of a tear from his bottom lid to his cheek, bringing out his bright eyes. The back of Ellisarian's left hand also bore a black image similar to the one Merrick had and they were dressed much the same, but altogether different.

They appeared as if they had merely, come down off their ship and rode straight to Gondor, without delay or even a thought of their appearance.

Legolas was speechless as his son and mate stalked up to them.

Ellisarian pulled the cloth back from his hair and they saw it had lightened to a milky blonde color, probably from the sun, but thankfully it was still long and beautiful –now with new braids and fastenings to design his gorgeous locks.

Aragorn stood in shock as he looked on the changes that had overcome his son.

Ellisarian said nothing. He stood there proudly, allowing them to look him over. He appeared much braver and confident than he had been before.

It took an extended amount of time for both king and consort to accept that what they were seeing wasn't an illusion before they both rushed to their son. Legolas reached their son first and embraced him as tightly as possible, trying to confirm that his son was real. Aragorn continued to ogle his son while his family held each other. His gaze shot to Merrick briefly before returning to his family.

Merrick had stepped to the side to allow this reunion without interference from him. Legolas suddenly began kissing Ellisarian's face all over now that he was through hugging him, but then Aragorn picked that opportune moment to hug and kiss his son as well. Both parents were just so happy to see their son alive and be able to hold and love him again.

Eventually, through Legolas' tears of joy and both parents' overzealous hugging, they eventually stood back from their son to begin scolding him. No sound came though. Merrick stepped up beside his mate again and took his hand as they both were examined by the royal couple.

After he had allowed a respectful amount of silence, the prince spoke with an accent that hadn't been there before.

"You two look dreadful." He told them as his eyes scanned their weary forms. "Did you get my messages?"

Their eyes widened. "Messages?" They repeated in unison –still too shocked to come up with a coherent thought at the moment.

"I told you they wouldn't get here." Merrick whispered into his ear softly.

"Good thing they weren't very detailed. Thanks for the warning." He smirked at his taller lover. "Ada. Father." Ellisarian murmured, looking them both in the eyes fearlessly.

"Where have you _been_?!" Legolas burst out with two years of frustrations. "You just left without even writing a note! We have been wondering whether you were even _alive_ anymore, for the past two years! _How dare you!_"

Ellisarian didn't even blink from the scolding. He seemed completely unfazed.

_It was worth it._ He thought to himself. _This little scolding is entirely worth the wonderful… fantastic two years I spent by Merrick's side. They'll see that, one day._

"Ada. I love you and I'm sorry I worried you. I realize you must have worried over me a great deal. That's why I tried writing to you…"

"We didn't get anything!" Legolas continued, his voice cracking with sadness and happiness.

"Majesties?" The courier voiced, shaking slightly. "Uh, you did receive a great deal of letters, but you ordered them to be taken away."

"Those were fake ransom letters and…" Aragorn began with a furrowed brow.

"No, Majesties. Not all of them. You ordered _all_ mail to be taken away though." He reminded politely.

Aragorn cursed and Legolas' tears fell freely. They looked back at their son, who held no malice or anger that they had yelled at him.

"I suppose I will just have to go over everything I said in those letters then." He told them with a warm smile. "Have you eaten?"

"No." They answered in a whisper at the same moment.

"Merrick and I would be honored if you would join us for a midday feast." Ellisarian told them and they nodded numbly. "We shall explain everything to you then."

"Where?" Legolas asked in a hushed tone.

"The Dining Hall." Ellisarian answered easily. "You'll have to excuse us whilst we prepare." He and Merrick began to leave, hand in hand again. "We'll expect you in an hour." He told them over his shoulder with a smirk.

It was astounding and confounding. Everything seemed to have changed about those two, yet remained the same. They were still the same people, but they'd had to grow with each others' likes, dislikes, preferences, and habits, and it seemed to have changed Ellisarian quite drastically. He was speaking far more directly and unabashedly. Where had all this self-control come from? Merrick?

* * *

The royal couple made their way to their chambers with soft even steps. Nothing could really be said and nothing was. They had no words for what had just happened. The shock was still settling in.

Once the door was closed upon their chambers, they merely looked up at each other.

"He's back." Legolas whispered simply, trying to get his brain to acknowledge what his mouth had said.

"They're back." Aragorn corrected and agreed at the same time.

"I was beginning to think…" Legolas trailed off sadly, and his husband came up to him and they embraced.

"He's not dead. Merrick has brought our son back to us." He told his lover as he gently stroked his hair.

"Yes. They're back."

With that said, they both breathed in and sighed heavily. Now that the burden of worry and fear had been lifted from their hearts, they could move on with life. No more depression. No more crying for a son that might not come home.

"Let's take a bath. As Ellisarian told us… we look dreadful." Legolas smiled and his husband snickered as he looked over his elf lover.

"It hadn't mattered to me this morning, really."

"Nor to me." Legolas nodded, by way of agreement. "But now I care!" He chuckled. "So, to the bath, then to this midday feast."

As they both lowered themselves into their bathing tub a while later, they pondered their son and his new appearance.

"He looks so commanding now." Legolas noted. "As if he was a captain himself, and he had led many crews into treacherous waters. It is so apparent. He glows with this new courage."

The king bobbed his head and he sank slightly deeper into the heated water. "I was astounded by that as well. I think Merrick had a lot to do with it." He declared as he looked out the lone window of the bathroom and along the horizon of Gondor. "Merrick is such a bold and intelligent bastard." Legolas' eyes lit with slight mirth as he heard his lover's choice of words. "He knows when to be rude and when to hold his tongue. I imagine that he taught all these things to Ellisarian over the past two years." Aragorn closed his eyes as he spoke. He let his lover lean in closer and he held him closer as he spoke on. "Over these two years, Ellisarian has stood by Merrick's side every step of the way, I dare say. I think, that it is quite easy for anyone to build up an endurance to _everything_ when one stands beside such a assertive and domineering person as Merrick. People show Merrick respect and they would show the person at Merrick's side respect as well. Any dolt who back-mouthed our son was probably dealt with in an orderly fashion by either Merrick, or Ellisarian –once he became brave enough." Legolas sat, patiently listening to his husband, as he washed his hair out. "I mean, who wouldn't be cocksure of everything when standing by such a man's side? _That_ is the kind of man that people follow into battle, with complete belief in the fact that they will come out triumphant."

"Like you." Legolas murmured into his lover's ear.

Aragorn let out a bark of laughter. "I suppose so."

"Well, _I_ believe that Ellisarian got all these 'dynamic genes' from your side of the family. He got those ones, and his 'stubborn' ones from you!" Legolas teased.

"Yes, well, I'm not the only one that helped to make our son. He's got plenty of _your_ 'stubborn genes' too!" Aragorn replied tersely.

"I can remember when he was just a tiny boy and he wanted to sword fight with his papa." Legolas laughed genuinely at the blush that covered Aragorn's face.

"Perhaps we should have waited until he was a bit older before starting with _that_." He admitted.

The usually tranquil elf began to laugh harder. "I wish you could have seen your face when he…"

Aragorn covered his lover's mouth, not really wanting to hear about the embarrassing incident, yet again. "Need I remind you what happened when you first tried to teach him archery? I believe you claimed it would be much more successful than sword fighting." Aragorn reminded with a triumphant smirk rising to his lips.

Legolas suddenly quieted, and they made a silent pact, not to discuss the subject again.

"What should we do when we go down to this luncheon?" Legolas asked his husband as he began to wash his own hair after rinsing his mate's. "I haven't the faintest idea of what to say to them." He felt a swell of anger again towards both his son and Merrick for just disappearing for so long.

Aragorn leaned Legolas' head back to rinse off the soap, and began massaging his elf's scalp; in the process, causing a deep moan to escape his lips.

"We should listen to them tell their story of these years that they've been gone." He whispered into his lover's ear, seductively. "We should be calm and not outraged by anything that they might say."

"Agreed." Legolas moaned again as a kiss was placed to his moist neck.

* * *

Legolas and Aragorn entered the Dining Hall after a bath, and a small talk between them, promising that they wouldn't be angry with Ellisarian for whatever adventures he revealed.

When they approached the beautiful round table with only four chairs, a few candles, and some empty dishes, they became worried. Where were they?

Suddenly, Ellisarian entered the room with a white apron covering his clothes. He was carrying a tray above his head and Merrick was right behind him with a pot of soup between his gloved hands.

A bit of sweat glistened from their foreheads as they approached with their sleeves rolled up.

"What's this?" Legolas asked with surprise evident in his tone.

"We cooked the food." Ellisarian told them proudly, his face slightly flushed as he rushed around arranging things, and setting the cooked meat in the center of the table. "Merrick taught me how to cook whilst we were out on the sea. You'll enjoy this. Trust me." He rushed back to the kitchen to retrieve more of the food.

Merrick's face was blank as he gestured for them to sit. He poured them each some soup with a ladle, to start.

Legolas looked up into his eyes and Merrick offered him a small smile.

"Your son is quite the little pupil." He told him bravely. "He insisted upon cooking the meat himself. It may not be perfect, but it's close enough." He winked at him, then poured some for Aragorn.

"Was it your idea to run off with him?" Aragorn demanded as he glared up at Merrick. Legolas was a bit shocked that his husband would be so rude to Merrick after they had agreed to be understanding of the couple's adventure.

Merrick smiled pleasantly at him.

"I would never dream of such a reckless act. Though it was quite painful, I was ready to leave him for another period of time, but when my men and I reached the dock, he was standing there, determined. His will was set. He said that he wouldn't let me leave without a fight." He smirked as Ellisarian reentered.

"And Merrick told me that he would have been surprised if I had. He ordered me to get on the ship, and that was it. We were gone, and I was thrilled, though I knew it would pain you both. I am truly sorry that it had to happen like that, but I think I've become a better person because of my travels."

The dishes were finally passed out and the young lovers pulled off the aprons, displaying their odd clothes again as they sat beside one another at the round table.

"What did you do once you left?" Legolas questioned shakily. Aragorn took his hand to steady his husband. It was one thing to decide on being open-minded in theory, so to speak, but it is quite another to actually go about doing said-task, and it was much harder than it seemed.

Ellisarian breathed in deeply as he went over the past events, munching on a piece of bread at the same time. "Oh, goodness." He murmured in reverie, as he tried to determine a good place to start from. "We set sail and traveled for half a month to Merrick's homeland. His ship is so fast… it's unimaginable. I've never seen a ship sail that fast. We only hurried when a storm was in quick approach, however, and otherwise took our time to get there. Anyway, when we arrived it was to a big congregation of clans who were all there to welcome Merrick back and apologize for the Bartula Clan. They all declared their loyalty to Merrick. Merrick called a meeting of all the captains and their first mates. I joined, in Astrolle's place. He told them he was looking for two more crew members and that very day the word was put out. Hundreds of people came forth the following day to beg Merrick to take them as crew members. In the end, Merrick fought with the ones he thought worthy, and the better of that bunch were questioned on their pasts and who they had dealt with previously, then they were pit against one another and Merrick asked my advice before he picked three new crew members."

"Why three? If I remember correctly, you only needed two." Aragorn asked politely.

"True." Merrick nodded. "One of the new crew members happened to be an old friend of Astrolle's though, and she was a good cook, so I had her join Gibbs in the kitchen." He smiled brightly. "She even taught me a few things. It never hurts to have an extra crew member or two."

"Did you find a new first mate?" Legolas asked patiently.

"Yes." They answered in unison, and smiled at one another.

"Is he suitable? I know it must take a long time to be able to trust…"

Merrick waved him silent. "I picked the best of my crew. One who I know would never do anything to harm the Santeria and her crew."

"That sounded like a fairly short process if you don't mind me saying." Aragorn piped in. "Why were you gone two years?"

"I realized that the adventure I was on would probably be the only one I'd ever have until I die." Ellisarian voiced sadly. "So we decided to make the most of it. I wanted to stay out a while longer, but Merrick thought we should come home and make sure I hadn't caused any permanent damage by leaving."

The royal couple nodded in understanding.

"Well, after leaving his homeland we traveled all over the world for nearly a year, then settled down across the ocean on an island. We bought a house, shared talents and languages with the locals, and clothes, obviously. We traveled to places where all you could see were seas of sand –mountains really- and windstorms all day, and the nights were freezing, but the days were scorching. I've learned so much." He sighed, reminiscing of their fun, joyous… sinful adventure.

"What is that on your hand?" Legolas demanded grumpily, after Ellisarian had seemed to stop his story-telling in favor of reliving it in his head. _He comes home decorated?_

Ellisarian paused as he stared at the image lovingly. Merrick took his hand and kissed the mark tenderly.

"I wrote you before it happened." Ellisarian told them in a whisper. "I didn't want to do it without your consent, so…"

"What?" Aragorn asked worriedly.

"Merrick and I bound our souls together." He told them seriously.

"What?" Aragorn and Legolas queried, confused.

"Through our travels, Ellisarian expressed to me how he wished that we could always be together, even in our next lives. He told me it would be too painful for him to go on living if I were to die, and I agreed with him. I called upon an old friend of my father's and asked him to perform the ritual. It is done now."

The royal couple were astonished.

"What would provoke you to consider such a thing?!" Aragorn demanded of Merrick swiftly once he regained his senses. His son was still young and still susceptible to stupid ideas, but Merrick was older and should have been able to dissuade Ellisarian from his decision with a firm 'No'.

Ellisarian and Merrick shared a glance as they remembered the rather traumatizing incident that had fired Ellisarian's urgency for the binding and had –in the end- been the reason Merrick finally agreed. Neither was quite ready to relive the memory, and so Ellisarian decided to glaze over it.

* * *

Hearing the shortened version of this was heart-wrenching. The royal couple had almost lost their son to some mysterious illness from another land… their _only_ son! They wanted to yell and shout about how right they had been in the first place, but that was pointless and frightening. What if they yelled and their son again left them? Neither Aragorn nor Legolas was ready for such a heady departure so quickly.

"You are married?" Legolas wondered, feeling slightly betrayed that they had been excluded from the most important part of their son's life.

Ellisarian's eyes widened. "Oh! No! Ada! Not married; bound. Our souls are bound. We haven't married as of yet. We wanted to marry here in the castle so that all of Gondor would know of it." He assured.

Merrick snorted looking away.

"Okay, well, _I_ wanted to marry here." He corrected and Merrick looked back at him, their hands still entwined.

"Oh!" Legolas became excited again –all feelings of betrayal gone- as his hands clasped together. He began planning every moment.

"What are these things?" Aragorn asked them gesturing to his ears. He seemed slightly happier from the information, but he was still curious about many things.

"Oh, yes." Ellisarian smiled. "It's part of the ritual. Just a little detail so that others who know of the ritual will know that we are bound together. There are carvings on the metal that allow us to hear each others thoughts." He stated smiling as he shared a secret glance with Merrick who smirked slyly back at him.

"Do you want to test it?" Ellisarian asked them. "The servants can bring out the next course of the meal as we do this!" Ellisarian gestured for the servants to come and take their soup while he stood with Merrick. "We shall go to this side of the room. Think of a word, any word that you think Merrick wouldn't know. Tell each other the word you've decided on, then I shall come back over. You will tell me, then I will tell Merrick through my mind."

The royal couple conversed as the first meal was taken away. "We've decided." They announced finally.

Ellisarian walked over to his fathers as Merrick continued to stare at a wall. The prince smiled when he heard their word. He portrayed it to Merrick.

"Studies!" Merrick told them aloud and the couple was shocked. Legolas quickly picked another word in Elvish. "Estel!" Merrick chuckled. "That was your father's name?" He turned around looking at Ellisarian, who nodded once.

"Remarkable." Legolas murmured in shock. "He didn't know that?" He asked his son.

"We never spoke of those things." Ellisarian told them.

"Did you send ships out after Ellisarian?" Merrick queried, his head tilted to the side slightly.

"Yes." Aragorn answered, his brow raised. "How did you know?"

Merrick looked grave. "One of them didn't return?" He continued sadly.

"Correct." Aragorn nodded again. "How do you know these things? Did you come across the ship? What happened to it?"

"The clans sent word back to me after it happened. They told of a ship that had barged into the bay and begun attacking the village by the bay in search of us. The ship was sunk and all the crew members were killed after a child was mistakenly slain." He answered grimly. Legolas gasped. Ellisarian's eyes were downcast as he sat with Merrick again, squeezing his hand for comfort.

"I had met the child." Ellisarian whispered. He looked up with tears cornering his eyes. "He had wanted to grow up and lead his own clan like Merrick did." He smiled bitterly. "Poor thing."

Merrick kissed his tears away and kissed him deeply to make the pain less. Surprisingly, the kiss seemed to make Ellisarian perk up considerably.

"What was that?" Legolas questioned, sensing the exchange.

"It is part of our binding." Ellisarian answered, now with a small smile. "Whenever one of us is in pain, our joining causes the pain to be less. It is shared between us instead of one of us bearing all of it." He squeezed Merrick's hand tighter as they locked eyes momentarily.

"What about the images on your hand?" Legolas asked Ellisarian as he ate some of the meat on his plate. "Oh, by the gods… who taught you to cook?" He demanded as he savored the meat. "Oh, Ellisarian, this is exquisite!"

Aragorn ate some of the meat in curiosity, then had much the same affect as his husband. "Marvelous. Merrick? Did you teach him?" He ate some more and drank some of what he thought was wine, but found it was much sweeter. "And the wine…?" He questioned.

Merrick smiled. "I've been saving that for a while." He responded. "It is from my homeland. A special Maunch fruit, native only to our land. Many pay great fortunes for our wines."

Ellisarian smiled, thrilled that his parents enjoyed the food he had prepared.

"Merrick taught me most of what I know." Ellisarian told them as they eagerly ate now.

"Do you think you could teach our cooks a thing or two?" Aragorn asked laughing. Merrick smiled.

"Perhaps."

"What about those marks though?" Legolas asked as he wiped a bit of meat from his lip.

"When we settled down, the villagers offered to do the designs for us. The mark under Merrick's eye is the mark of a leader, a captain, a commander, a ruler." He smiled at his mate intimately.

"Why did you not get this same mark?" Aragorn asked with a bit of a frown.

"I did not think it would be appropriate for me to have any such marks. Merrick is the captain and I am not yet king so…" He let the thought hang. "The mark on my hand is my sea-name." He blushed at speaking this and Legolas sat up straight, suddenly very interested.

"What is the name?" Legolas questioned eagerly.

"It is Azrael." Ellisarian responded.

"What does the name mean?" Aragorn continued as he nibbled on more of the bread dipped into the juice of the meat.

"It roughly translates to Wind Walker." Merrick told them as he munched on some of the fruits he had brought back with him over their voyage. "He was named by the Elder of the Angelus Clan for the way he flies across the ropes on the Santeria. As if he were walking on air."

"Are all new comers named in this manner?" Aragorn queried.

"To be approved for admittance to the Clans you must be given a name. We all have one." He explained.

"What is your Clan name?" Legolas asked him, leaning closer, curiously.

"Merrick Fay Demeanatora." He stated as he picked at the fruit. "Merrick is my given name. Fay is my father's name, and Demeanatora is my sea-name."

"What does Demeanatora mean in your language?" Aragorn asked him. Merrick was about to respond when Ellisarian intervened proudly.

"God of Water." He told them with a broad smile.

Merrick turned with a laugh to his lover. "I never thought you would be so thrilled to learn such a trivial thing about me." He laughed again.

"Nothing about you is trivial, my love." Ellisarian told him.

"Your voice…" Aragorn whispered and they all looked to the king. "It is different."

"Is it?" Ellisarian asked with a slight smile. "I suppose it makes sense. We've been to so many different places… I've learned so many languages." He sighed leaning back in his chair, quite satisfied with himself.

"Merrick's voice hasn't changed." Legolas pointed out.

"I've already been to all of these places that Ellisarian speaks of. My dialect has always been well-rounded." He smiled playfully as he gazed at his lover. "We've only been to half the lands and through half the cultures I wanted to take you to."

"Oh, but the Aztecs were so interesting." Ellisarian cried out as he leaned over his chair to Merrick, grabbing his arm. "Their rituals and dances and music! Their music was grand! We must send word and invite those girls to come here and perform for the royal court."

Merrick laughed aloud. He threw his head back and his laughter spilled over his companion like air. "I doubt their fathers would allow them to travel across the oceans for such a trifle."

"For our wedding then!" Ellisarian declared. "Oh, please, Merrick! You know you can convince them!" He begged with a pitiful face as he squeezed Merrick's arm.

Merrick tried not to look at his pouting mouth and gorgeous eyes. "Oh, gods, you will have your way, of course." He conceded.

"Yay!" Ellisarian cheered as he quickly kissed Merrick's cheek.

"Is there anything else I should retrieve for you whilst I am calling in favors?"

"I'll think of something." The elf prince warned slyly.

"That's fine." Merrick nodded with a gulp of wine from his goblet.

"In any event, you stated that you bought a house. Did you stay in this house the entire second year?" Legolas continued.

"No." Ellisarian retorted. "For a few months perhaps, then we sold it and moved on. We went to villages so distant they didn't even know what an elf was. We traveled to cities so large, one could scarcely fit through the streets with all the others there." He let out a breath of triumph. "The religions and languages and tales I've heard! And, oh, the books!" He cried out in exasperation. "There were not enough hours on the sea for me to read all the books I bought!" He relaxed all his muscles. "Every time I put down one book it seemed we were entering a new culture with more and more books! The marvels I saw! The things children did to amuse themselves were staggering. In some places children worked long painful days for little money. For entertainment they played with paper markers that had numbers on them and only special combinations would beat others and whoever won the game would receive whatever was put down as a bet. Perhaps more money, or having another work their shift. It was wonderful. In other places children ran with sticks and loops of weed that they tried to keep moving the longest and fastest in races with other children. In other places children raced on wild animals, or tried to spit the farthest, or shot tiny glass balls with their thumbs at other children's ball to knock them out of a ring of rope…" He described breathlessly.

Merrick grabbed his arm gently, reminding him to breathe. Ellisarian laughed heartily. Merrick looked at the royal couple with amusement. "He enjoyed joining in on more than one of these games. You should have seen him." He smirked. "Tall as he is… playing with children half his size with twice his talent at the games."

Ellisarian punched his shoulder playfully. "Hey!" He yipped in defense.

"Hush mortal!" Merrick replied jokingly and reached over tickling his mate's stomach. Ellisarian jumped out of his chair with a cry of surprise and fell to the floor.

Merrick laughed at him and stood offering his hand to his lover. Ellisarian pulled his mate down on top of him as they both broke out laughing.

"So much for being dignified." Legolas murmured to his husband.

"Look at them, my love." Aragorn whispered back to him. "I have never seen Ellisarian so happy and enlivened."

Legolas noticed this too. "It is because of Merrick." He replied.

"It is because he was free." Aragorn corrected gently.

"Are you saying you want Ellisarian to abandon his place as king and run off with Merrick to be a pirate?" He snapped, hushed.

"Perhaps that is what I am saying." Aragorn answered with a warm smile. "We should tell them." He told Legolas secretively, squeezing his husband's hand lovingly. The elf nodded.

"Boys!" Legolas called out to them and they got off the floor breathlessly falling back into a chair, but Ellisarian sat in Merrick's lap instead of his own chair. They adjusted for comfort and Merrick wrapped his arms around his lover's waist.

"Yes." Ellisarian responded, all smiles.

"We have something to tell you." Aragorn started seriously and Ellisarian's smile disappeared.

"What is it? Neither of you are sick, right?!" He demanded, quickly growing more and more frightened.

"No." Legolas assured. "This is a good thing."

Ellisarian nodded, releasing his fear easily. "What is it, Ada?" He asked sweetly, his composure returning.

"I am with child again, Ellisarian." Legolas announced finally.

Ellisarian's eyes widened, then he smiled brightly. "That's wonderful!" He declared. He turned to his mate who clearly shared his joy.

"Marvelous!" Merrick told them. "When did this happen? How pregnant are you?"

"I'm not showing yet." Legolas told them with a warm smile. He was glad they hadn't reacted badly to his news. "Just a month, I think."

"We should celebrate!" Ellisarian declared. "Have you told anyone else?"

"No, but…"

"Tomorrow then! We shall celebrate my birth day and announce the new addition to our family at the same time!" He laughed happily and ran to his Ada, embracing him lovingly.

Aragorn and Merrick exchanged a knowing smile as they both looked at their partners adoringly.

Legolas began to cry sadly.

"What is it, Ada?" Ellisarian asked worriedly as he knelt beside him. "What troubles you?"

"Don't leave us!" Legolas begged as he cried. "Now that we have this child as well, don't leave us!"

"Oh, Ada! I wasn't planning on leaving for a long while!" Ellisarian told him as he held his Ada.

"Don't leave at all!" Legolas begged selfishly as he clung to his son's clothes.

Ellisarian's mouth gaped open as he glanced at his lover. Merrick's face was blank, however.

_It's your decision, my love._ He told him through their minds.

"I can not stay put, Ada. Merrick will need me on his voyages." He told him as he pet his Ada's hair fondly.

"He does not need his lover to sail!" Legolas reasoned.

"True, but he does need his first mate." Ellisarian told him as he stared deeply into his eyes.

"But, you're…" Realization overcame Legolas.

"I am his first mate. The only person Merrick could trust completely and utterly with his life. The thing about the binding ceremony is that if one of us were to die, the other would die soon after. One cannot exist without the other."

Aragorn seemed appalled by this. "No!" He shouted and stood quickly, glaring accusingly at Merrick.

"Do not!" Ellisarian yelled to his father, stopping him in his tracks as he comforted his Ada. "It was not Merrick's idea." He told him after he had his father's full attention. "When I found out about the ceremony I begged Merrick for months to complete it with me. That is why we bought the house and stayed so long in that place. It would be pointless to separate us. Were he to die at sea I would know it automatically and begin to die myself. I would prefer to die at his side rather than in the middle of a conversation with either of you." He told them firmly, still kneeling beside his Ada. "Please understand." He whispered to him and Legolas stood up and away. He walked wordlessly away from his son and Ellisarian remained there as his father walked after him. He doubted either would be coming back.

Merrick stood soundlessly and approached behind his mate.

"It hurts." He whispered knowingly.

"Yes." Ellisarian confirmed, but no tears fell from his face. He had hardened himself on the seas. Nothing could cause tears to fall from his face anymore, short of Merrick being wounded or having to part with him.

In all their time at sea they had argued several times over many things, but never did it tear them apart. The arguments had happened less and less after their binding, then not at all. After they understood each others feelings and sadness it was impossible to misunderstand anything, and that understanding caused their relationship to flourish beyond belief.

"We should leave them to their thoughts for a while." Merrick stated dryly.

"Back to the ship." Ellisarian replied with a sigh.

"If you wish." Merrick chuckled and Ellisarian was in his arms in a moment.

"Or we could just go back to the Prowling Wolf and…" He pressed his hardened cock against his mate's throbbing member.

"You little devil." He laughed softly and nibbled on the lobe of Ellisarian's ear where the metal didn't cover it. His mate shivered pleasantly. "Still as tender as ever." He murmured as he took Ellisarian's hand and led him out of the castle to their waiting horses.

Dar had taken quite a liking to Ellisarian and his own horse Felicia, so he was now much less hostile around them.

* * *

The following week…

"Ho! Captain and Azrael!" The entire crew shouted to their approaching captain and first mate.

"Ho!" Merrick and Ellisarian responded gleefully.

"How are the supplies I ordered?" Merrick asked as he inspected his half-drunk crew.

"All loaded, Sir!" Gibbs announced.

"Hey, look at the beauty!" Some of the men were at the starboard side of the ship whistling at a woman.

Merrick and Ellisarian looked over the side to see the beautiful redhead blushing.

"What's your name, beautiful?!" Komb shouted to the woman as he steadied himself to keep from falling into the water.

"Amelia!" She answered as she swayed her hips.

"Whore." Ellisarian growled into Merrick's ear. "No proper woman would stroll down here unless she wanted to get in our pants for some money." He snorted.

Merrick snickered. "Do your thing, gentlemen!" He yelled to them. "The first mate doesn't approve!"

Throughout the entire deck of the ship came taunts to the woman and they weren't of a playful nature.

"Amelia Bodilia!" One taunted.

"Amelia the Whore of Hell's Harbor!" Another shouted.

"Bodilia has a big body!"

"Bodi's got a big old butt!" Several hollered together, gesturing to their asses.

She scowled up at them and she began to strut away indignantly. "Bastards with fins!" She shouted up to them as they laughed her away.

"There weren't whores hanging around the harbors last time we ported." Komb announced and there were a lot of nods.

"Gondor's changed." Crumb grumbled. "When can we leave, Captain?" He whined. "We were having so much fun before!"

"You like the exotic women, huh?!" Merrick yelled laughing. All the men gave a great cheer of a laugh. He turned to his mate and they silently shared a conversation. "Mayhap sooner, or later…" Merrick shrugged. "We'll see where the wind blows next." Several men groaned, but not loudly. "For now batten down the hatches and secure the Santeria for port. We don't want any more accidents. Everyone's on guard duty until I send word back otherwise. My first mate and I are going ashore to the court of the king."

More men groaned as they wished their captain and first mate good luck.

* * *

"Are you angry?" Merrick asked as they finally arrived at the castle and dismounted. Ellisarian had been silently brooding the whole while and Merrick couldn't pinpoint his frustrations.

"About what?" Ellisarian asked weakly.

"Perhaps the party that didn't happen?" Merrick suggested with a shrug. Ellisarian sighed heavily.

"Perhaps." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I didn't get much sleep last night." He announced softly.

"Neither of us did." Merrick offered his hand squeezing his lover's shoulder. He nipped playfully at his mate's exposed ear and the prince gave a start, nearly losing his balance.

"Oh, gods, Merrick! Not here." He begged halfheartedly. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to stop him, but Merrick had to stop now and without even a gesture from Ellisarian, his mate stopped and behaved.

"May I have your hand?" He asked stretching out his gloved hand to Ellisarian who took it with his own gloved hand.

They entered the castle and made their way to the entrance hall first to see if either royal member was there.

Merrick leaned over and kissed his mate's ear tenderly. "Something else still troubles you." He stated blatantly as they waited for their presence to be announced, at the door of the Hall.

Ellisarian smiled slightly. "I was thinking about children." He replied quietly, so only his lover's sensitive hearing would catch his words. "Children of our own. I want to find out if it's possible for me to bear children." He stared longingly into Merrick's eyes.

"I will not deny that I have thought of these same things." Merrick told him after giving a reassuring squeeze of his hand. "We shall see a healer to consult about such matters later." He promised and Ellisarian felt much better for having spoken his mind.

The doors were opened by two guards and they were allowed in. Aragorn sat on his throne, but Legolas was not beside him this day. Ellisarian frowned worriedly, but again Merrick was there to comfort him and tell him mentally that his Ada was –after all- pregnant and was probably resting.

"Good morrow, Ellisarian. Merrick." Aragorn greeted, slightly worn looking. "What brings you here?"

"I was merely curious as to how Ada was." Ellisarian proclaimed loudly, so his father could hear him clearly.

"He's resting." Aragorn replied and Ellisarian smirked as he glanced at his wily lover, then back to his father. "Just a bit tired today."

"Father, are you still angered about Merrick and I?" Ellisarian asked finally.

Aragorn breathed in and out before answering. "That was a fairly drastic move you two made. It is not entirely selfish of us to want our son to live a long and prosperous life." He began.

"He's your only son." Merrick added blankly. "I understand the worry. Had I a son I would probably act much the same way as you do and be just as protective if not more. He is your heir and…"

"It is not just that!" Aragorn yelled to Merrick. He stood in fury and stalked over to Merrick who remained completely calm. "He is my blood and I worry for his life every moment that he is out with you, Merrick! You may be famous for your adventures and for what your father did, but you are merely a pirate! You fight and you kill and you sail. What will you do once you are too old to sail?" He demanded sharply.

"One never becomes too old to sail." Merrick replied coolly.

"It will happen. The day will come when your back aches too much to pull the ropes and your hands hurt too badly to turn the wheel. The time will come when you must give up that ship and pass it on to another. You will eventually become too old for your pirating life. What will you do then?" He snapped.

Merrick looked him straight in the face with a frown of anger being quelled. "Should the day come I will take one final voyage home and live out my days surrounded by those who have known me all my life and those who will care for me. I will train a new captain for the Santeria and I will let her go."

"And what of my son? Do you expect him to follow you all this time when…?"

Ellisarian couldn't stand it anymore. They were speaking as if he weren't even there and his father was being horrible to his lover. He swam in his own fury toward them both.

"I have my plans." Merrick stated. "They are not definite and they probably won't happen like that. Nothing ever happens perfectly as you plan. Things change. Ellisarian is what changed my plans in the first place. Now we are bound and it is he who will decide for himself what he wants to do with life. All I care for anymore is that he is happy and right now we are causing him great strife, so if you would so kindly address your son, perhaps it would keep him from shouting at you."

Aragorn scowled, then turned to his fuming son and sighed heavily. "I am only looking out for your best interests." He whispered.

"I realize that you do not want to let me go, Father, but you are holding on too tight. I too wish to have a child some day. That is my wish. My desire is for him to grow up knowing nobility and royalty, but also knowing his pirate half and letting him decide what he wants. Should he choose to want to sail on the open sea, then he can build a boat and find a crew and carry on his father's legacy, but should he choose royalty he may come back to Gondor and live as a noble, if not a king." Ellisarian finished, his fist clenched in anger as he forced himself to calm down.

Merrick smiled upon his prince proudly.

"My best interests are to be with Merrick always." The prince finished and reached out for Merrick's hand again. Aragorn's face hardened with anger as he glared at them both. "If you will not even try to understand us, then we'll just sail out of Gondor and leave for a few more months."

"Months?" Aragorn questioned grumpily.

"I wish to be here when Ada gives birth." He responded quietly before Merrick and Ellisarian stalked out of the castle quickly, then rode to the Prowling Wolf and sent message to the Santeria that they were to ship out within the week.

"Where do you want to go?" Merrick asked him as he unraveled a map he had drawn long ago of the surrounding area, with The New Land at the center of the document and Gondor baring on the upper right hand corner of it. "We still haven't been to Floras." He commented as he pointed to a peninsula.

Ellisarian paid the map a glance, then shrugged.

"Are you worried for your Ada?" Merrick asked gently.

"Of course, but I am more worried that my first adventure out into the world was my undoing with the close relationship I share with my family." He groaned sadly.

Merrick couldn't think of anything much to say that would make him feel better about his family matters, so he moved on to other subjects and allowed his lover to brood. "Do you wish to speak with the healer before you decide where we should go? We should also probably discuss when you want to have this child for we will have to set anchor somewhere during most of this time." He suggested.

"What would you want?" Ellisarian wondered.

"Want what?" Merrick countered with a small proud smile across his face as he watched his mate stroke his lower belly.

"A boy or a girl?" Ellisarian asked breathlessly. "You would probably want a boy." He guessed with a laugh.

Merrick laughed and shook his head. "Boys would be much easier to handle because we know everything about them, but I would want a girl. I want a girl that I could spoil rotten; my own little princess. I want her to grow up and become a beautiful woman that I can watch with her future husband and know that things will be alright."

Ellisarian outright laughed and Merrick's eyes widened as he gazed curiously at his mate. "I would never have pictured you the type to want a girl!" He laughed. "I would have thought you would want a boy, so you could teach him to sail, fish, and be promiscuous and drink all the other pirates under the table!" He laughed heartily.

"Either." Merrick told him in a gentle whisper. "I would love any child that we have." He vowed lovingly. Ellisarian had never heard Merrick carry that tone of voice before. So longing and serious, yet… almost fatherly.

"Let's go now!" Ellisarian demanded suddenly. "I must know for sure, immediately."

Merrick's eyes widened. "Alright." He murmured slowly.

Ellisarian grabbed Merrick's arm urgently and pulled him out of his chair.

"Come!" He yelled.

Merrick laughed. "Coming." He responded though his mate continued to yank his arm, almost dislocating it as he pulled him along. Merrick laughed happily. He loved seeing Ellisarian full of energy and happiness.

* * *

The healer leaned closer to Merrick as they continued speaking very quietly. The man had finished examining Ellisarian and left for a short while with a small sample of his blood.

He had just returned and now was telling Merrick everything instead of telling Ellisarian, which made him mad, but more anxious than anything.

Maybe it was good news and Merrick had requested the honor of telling him. Mayhap it was bad news and the doctor was too frightened of the prince to tell him.

In any case, he finally finished with Merrick and the pirate dismissed him with a wave of his hand as he stared into Ellisarian's eyes. His legs were crossed over and his hands sat neatly in his lap as he continued to gaze absentmindedly forward. Ellisarian thought he looked quite elegant at the moment, but he was too worried by the vacant look on his lover's face.

"What is it, Merrick? Why are you so silent?" He asked worriedly, his hands fiddling with his tunic as he sat on the bed staring back at the pirate. The man seemed to be looking _through_ him, not at him.

"It is impossible for you to carry children." Merrick told him tonelessly. His eyes seemed to suddenly return to life and he looked directly into his lover's eyes passionately.

"Oh." Ellisarian breathed and tried to smile away his sadness. Tears fell down the elf's face for the first time in nearly six months. "I'm sorry." He sobbed and Merrick laughed as he shook his head, rising from his seat and straddling Ellisarian's lap as he cried. Ellisarian was so curious of Merrick's mixed emotions. He couldn't pin any of his feelings at all. He was so lost.

"I was thinking." Merrick whispered to him as he stroked his cheek with his thumb absently. He used his cloak to dab at the tears and Ellisarian stopped crying.

"Thinking about what?" He asked with a hiccup. His heart was in extreme pain at the moment; he had thought Merrick was angry with him… that perhaps he was angry that he couldn't bare children like they had hoped.

"I was tested a long time ago before my Ada was killed to see if all of my magical blood would inhibit me from baring children." He stated in a whisper and Ellisarian gasped in shock. He hadn't even thought about Merrick baring their children. His breath hitched in his chest as Merrick smiled down on him, then kissed him lovingly. "I have the ability to have children." He told him with a small smile.

"That's wonderful!" Ellisarian cried out and embraced him tenderly. "Are you sure you still want to though? I mean, you are the captain of a ship and… well you are the alpha male of our coupling." He finished finally, slightly worried about Merrick's reaction.

Merrick laughed again. Throwing his head back with a hearty laugh. He wiped a tear of mirth from his eye once his laughs had subsided. "I am sure, my love. If you don't mind though, I would rather give birth to our child in my homeland."

Ellisarian chuckled himself. "Absolutely. Anything you want." He promised. "Oh, gods, Merrick. I was afraid you might hate me if I couldn't… I knew how much you wanted children."

Merrick kissed him all over his face, then passionately kissed his rosy lips.

"I would never hate you, Ellisarian. Nothing could make me hate you, _ever_! I love you with every fiber of my being and I have no quarrel with baring our child."

Ellisarian was ecstatic with joy. "Do you need any added magical aid? For stability because you are part elf?" He asked excitedly.

"No. I need no help to bare this child. I assure you." They both nodded several times, then laughed giddily, embracing each other with all their strength.

"Why were you so thoughtful before? What was wrong?" He asked suddenly and Merrick frowned.

"I was merely thinking about how we could manage such a thing and whether you would want me to."

"Why would I not want you to?" Ellisarian asked with a broad smile.

"It is dangerous. Just as dangerous as your Ada giving birth to you was, if not more because I am of mixed blood." He saw the worry in Ellisarian's eyes and he moved on quickly. "I will also not be able to protect you once I am well into the pregnancy. You will have to be strong and watch over me instead." He warned.

"I will protect you just as you have done for me. You taught me how to fight, Merrick, I'll be fine. It's you I'm worrying about." He told his mate as he curled a bit of hair behind his lover's ear.

"I want to do this for you. For us." Merrick told him lovingly. "I want you to have a son."

"I would be just as happy with a girl and you know it." Ellisarian told him with a soft laugh.

"And I would be only too happy to give that child to you. Shall we do it here? Or in my homeland?"

"As soon as possible." Ellisarian groaned lustily. All this talk was making Ellisarian rather hard. He felt a great swell of love for this man he was going to spend his entire life with and now share a child with.

"Here?" Merrick asked with a chuckle. Ellisarian had become quite brave with the places where they did this.

"Yes!" He told him gruffly as the desire centered in his throat. "Once more with you inside me before we return to the tavern and I finish my work on you." He chuckled and Merrick smirked.

"That sounds perfect." Merrick replied with a moan rising in his windpipe.

* * *

Three days later…

"Pull up the plank! Be ready!" Merrick hollered to the crew as he stood at the wheel with Ellisarian at his side, a bit worried, but otherwise ready for the voyage. "Raise sails!" Merrick shouted with a stern face and an echo shot around the ship:

"Ai, Captain!" Was the reply from all.

Suddenly a carriage pulled up hurriedly into the harbor and Ellisarian turned fully around as he saw who exited the carriage. His father and Ada came rushing over to the ship's side as their son leaned over the railing of the ship to look down at them. Merrick barely turned his head to glance at them as they came closer. He was furious that people so kind could be so harsh to their only child. This feeling was doubly as powerful now that he now held his own child within his body.

"Mind your posts!" Merrick shouted as his crew was distracted. They immediately preoccupied themselves with their chores of raising all the many sails and tying everything down for the rough voyage ahead.

"Ada! Father!" Ellisarian called to his parents.

"Ellisarian! Your letter!" Legolas called out, slightly out of breath as a harsh breeze blew through the harbor.

"Are you having a child?" Aragorn demanded, more tenderly than the last time they had spoken.

"Yes." Ellisarian answered with a small nod.

"Please, stay!" Legolas begged as he called out to him.

"No. I'll return once it's through." He replied. "I shall return to be by your side when you give birth!" He promised his Ada.

"Ellisarian! Please, don't leave again!" Legolas cried out as tears fell from his eyes. Tears stung Ellisarian's eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall; he fought against them falling, but eventually lost his fight.

"Raise anchor!" Merrick shouted to his crew and they were relieved to be leaving Gondor finally. The captain stalked over to the side of the ship and glared down at the royal couple. "A storm is approaching Gondor!" Merrick yelled to them. "We must leave now to avoid it completely!"

Ellisarian turned to Merrick and took one of his hands in both of his to warm it.

"We shall bring your future grandson or daughter with us!" He shouted down to them as the boat was caught by the wind and it began to move quickly over the rough waves. "I love you, Father! I love you, Ada! I shall return before you know it! Do not doubt it in the least! I shall send word of my travels and of our return date!" He vowed and waved to his family.

Legolas waved back feverishly and Aragorn did the same as he squeezed his husband's shoulder.

"We scared them away again." Legolas whispered sadly into the wind, his breath visible in the cold biting breeze.

Aragorn murmured sadly. "I was hoping he would merely stay with us for all time now that he has had his big journey."

"We were both wrong." Legolas cried. "We were both very wrong." He put his hand over his stomach and Aragorn placed his hand in the same spot to cover his husband's. "The note said that Merrick was carrying this child?" Legolas questioned after a pause of silence.

"Yes." Aragorn assured flatly. "He has taken the burden from our son." The king whispered.

"He is of mixed blood." Legolas added as he bowed his head sorrowfully. "This birth will not be easy for him. He may… he may not make it."

* * *

Merrick guided his ship until Gondor was so far behind that they could barely see the black clouds hovering over it with harsh rains falling. He sighed as Ellisarian looked back once more before Gondor was out of sight.

Ellisarian returned to stand beside his mate and he smiled up at him. Their gaze connected and they both smiled warmly at each other. The prince reached out his hand and slid it behind the folds of Merrick's cloak and under his waistcoat to stroke his lower belly tenderly.

Merrick smiled down at him as he turned the ship's wheel slightly to the left again. The pirate placed his hand over his mate's and rubbed the fingers lovingly.

_We'll be fine. This baby will brighten our lives._ He reassured mentally. _I love you._

Ellisarian leaned closer as he stepped up onto his toes and kissed his lover deeply.

"What will we name it if it's a girl?" He wondered with a raised brow. Merrick hummed happily as he kissed his prince's forehead.

"Tila." Merrick offered. "Tila Fay Alassé." He suggested and Ellisarian smiled lovingly.

"Joy?" He queried the name.

"Of course. All girls are joys, are they not?"

They both laughed happily.

"Okay. I like it. What about a boy?" Ellisarian continued.

"You decide." Merrick urged and nudged his knee between Ellisarian's slightly parted legs.

Ellisarian gasped at the sudden movement, and began to think hard about a name. "I don't know. I suppose it will come to us once the baby is born." He shrugged. "Nothing I can think of seems right."

Merrick grinned. "You're probably right. These things should be decided in the heat of the moment." He turned the wheel another notch. He had explained to Ellisarian the first time they had sailed, that he needed no compass to direct them toward his homeland. The route was engraved into his head. Like a beacon that blinked constantly just out of everyone else's sight, but he could see it in his mind as it always guided him home. He had told Ellisarian to always pay attention to everything they saw as they sailed. He vowed he would test Ellisarian one day on how to return to Merrick's home.

Keeping this in mind, Ellisarian always kept a constantly vigilant state of mind when he was on deck, even though most of everything there was to look at was only water. There was an island two days travel from their location off in the North, but they were headed back East. That island had been quite fun and the children had played wonderful games.

* * *

Legolas was helped to his bower –his own hands holding his swollen stomach as if to help lift it from his body- as it opened for him. His delivery would begin soon. He could feel it painfully so and yet his son hadn't returned home yet. His letters had said he would be home within the week and that last letter had been two weeks ago.

He was terribly worried that something horrible had happened to his son.

"You have to go in now, Legolas." His husband told him urgently. "We must be more careful this time."

Their worried gazes connected for another long moment before Legolas finally nodded and entered the bower. As a wood-elf, Legolas would magically be comforted and healed in his pregnancy by confining himself in the ancient magical Tree of Life. The like-magic of the tree and the life around them would aid the birthing and keep Legolas from any complications.

* * *

Aragorn stood there worrying not only for his husband, but also for his elder child, for nearly three hours before the bower once again began to move and open.

"I made it." A voice whispered, startling Aragorn out of his wits. The king jumped around to see his son standing there gallantly with a small bundle wrapped tightly against the cold in his arms.

Aragorn was torn between ogling his new grandchild or his weary son.

"Ada still needs you." Ellisarian reminded calmly and Aragorn spun around quickly to go help his husband who was just now being lowered to the ground.

Many other servants were nearby to help with the child, but Legolas' exhausted form seemed to come to life upon seeing his eldest child standing before him with a bundle of his own in his arms.

"Ellisarian!" He cried out happily.

"Did you think I would break my promise?" Ellisarian wondered with a smile

"No." Legolas chuckled as he stretched out one sweaty arm to embrace his son. "Say hello to your baby sister." Aragorn helped to support Legolas as they all looked upon the tiny baby girl.

"Beautiful." Ellisarian whispered as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"And who is this?" Legolas asked tiredly as he sagged against his husband, who now lifted him into his arms, easily –even in old age.

"This is baby Antony Marth, but he's asleep at the moment." Ellisarian told them softly as he began to walk beside his fathers into the castle.

* * *

After they had reached the royal couple's rooms Ellisarian found a comfortable chair and waited as the newest addition to their family was cleaned and returned to Legolas as he rested on the bed with Aragorn at his side.

"Where is Merrick?" Legolas asked, worried suddenly. He had completely forgotten about the pirate. The little bundle in Ellisarian's arms was, after all, his child. Its small dark tufts of hair and startling blue eyes showing off traits from both parents amazingly.

"Did he make it through the delivery alright?" Aragorn questioned hurriedly.

"That's what took us so long, I'm afraid." Ellisarian told them with a pained laugh. "We were on our way back when Merrick gave birth to the child, so we had to stop the ship and since no one knew where we were, we ended up waiting for Merrick to give birth then rest for the better part of a week before he was capable to sail again and even then it was terrible to watch him because he was so exhausted from it all."

"I imagine so!" Legolas exclaimed, relating completely, though he probably had had it better off with the bower to help him heal. "But he did make it through without problem?"

"He's resting in my old room." Ellisarian told them with a small smile. "He wanted to be there for the birthing as well, but he was just too drawn to do much of anything."

"What do you plan on naming her?"

They all spun around in shock to see Merrick leaning haggardly against the doorframe. There were circles under his eyes and his face seemed slightly sunken in as he walked over to where Ellisarian sat.

His mate stood quickly and allowed Merrick to take the chair, then he gently handed their child over to Merrick and kissed him lovingly.

"Thank you." Merrick murmured to him after they parted. The pirate's eyes then fell on the bundle in Legolas' arms once again. Her head was covered in light blonde hairs that could still change colors in her growth, but it was a mystery, as of yet, to what her eye color was because she had yet to glorify the world with her gaze.

"Oh, it's so good to see that you're alright, Merrick." Legolas told him smiling with a little fatigue of his own.

Merrick and Ellisarian smirked at each other as they exchanged a message, then looked back at Legolas.

_I told you they would forget everything as soon as they saw their grandson._ Merrick told his mate.

_Know-it-all._ He replied teasingly.

"Thank you. You look quite well yourself." He commented.

"I'm nearly ready to collapse, but this is far more interesting than relaxing." He informed quickly with a short laugh.

Merrick sighed contentedly, then brought his son closer to his face and kissed his forehead lovingly.

"Antony." He called gently and the little boy cautiously opened his big brilliantly blue eyes to look into his father's. "Hello, Little Antony." Merrick greeted with a smirk.

The baby broke out into a fit of giggles and started to wave its arms as it reached for Merrick's face, then grabbed a curl of his hair and yanked. Merrick didn't react. He merely smiled down on his son approvingly.

"Have you yet picked a name for your young princess?" Ellisarian asked his parents as he squeezed Merrick's shoulder.

"No." Aragorn shook his head as he looked longingly down on his own child. "Do you have a suggestion?"

The royal couple looked down upon their son who smirked with a light blush. "Tila Fay Alassé." He offered.

Legolas automatically took a liking to the name. "That is a wonderful idea. How ever did you come up with it so quickly?"

"It was the name we would have given to our child if he had been a she." Merrick told them as he continued to stare down at his son.

"How long did the process take?" Aragorn wondered suddenly. "Legolas was pregnant long before you and he gave birth after you."

Ellisarian became slightly tense at the mention of the incident. "The birthing was premature. Merrick suddenly became very uncomfortable at the wheel." He answered softly as he looked at their child and squeezed the pirate's shoulder comfortingly. "He began to sway and nearly fell over. Had not Marie been standing right there at the moment, he would have fallen over and the rough waves would have taken us." He sighed away his tension. Legolas watched Merrick keenly. He was disgruntled about the recount of events and obviously wasn't happy about what had happened. "We had luckily taken a healer on board with us." Ellisarian sighed and smiled a bit. "The healer cared for Merrick as best he could and helped him through the delivery, but it lasted nearly two days…"

"My god!" Aragorn cried out and Legolas clutched his child tighter to his breast in fright. "And you…?" Aragorn gestured to his son. "Did you feel his pain as well?"

"Not nearly as greatly as Merrick. I wished I could take more pain from him, but he would not allow me. I had to take the wheel and keep it on track without actually going much of anywhere. We talked when he was up to it through our minds and he helped me give the ship a general direction with the sails down so we wouldn't be carried too far off course. I wanted to go to him…" he paused as he remembered the past and Merrick looked up to him, then squeezed his hand, as if to acknowledge something. "… but I was the first mate and I had to stay at the helm." He spoke more firmly. "I worried day and night about him for his emotions were a jumbled mess and he bade me to stay away so I could not see…"

"He would suffer more by seeing me suffer. It was hard enough on him being connected to me." Merrick added in a murmur. "Anyway, after the birthing I slept for the better part of the next two days and began to walk on the third. We were sailing again by the next two days. I had to have Ellisarian with me though. I could not do it alone." He sighed and kissed his lover's hand affectionately.

After a long pause of silence and knowing expressions being exchanged, Legolas finally spoke again. "What is your plan for the future?" He asked, somewhat worriedly.

"Our plan?" Ellisarian repeated and looked down at Merrick for an answer.

"I must heal." He whispered tiredly and leaned back in the chair. "Perhaps we will remain here for a few more months…"

"Perhaps?!" Legolas cried out in horror. "Months?!"

Merrick glared at him grumpily. "Antony must be taken back to my homeland before his first year is through with so he can be acknowledged by the Elder and written as my heir." He continued with a scowl. "It will take no more than a month to sail there and back here. Other than that, I have no problem raising Little Antony in Gondor." He finished and Legolas felt much more relieved.

"Oh, goodness." Legolas sighed with relief and relaxed back against the headboard. "I did not mean to snap, but it is so stressful on me to see my son leave me so often." He looked to Merrick who seemed to sympathize slightly with him.

"Just that month." Merrick promised. "I have already set my crew about on dry docking the boat and finding lodgings for themselves." He paused as he glared at the royal couple. "You understand that this is not permanent." He looked from one to the other as they remained calm. "I will take my son sailing and I will desire Ellisarian's company on several of these trips. I am not saying I will leave for a few years and not return like before. That was unplanned. These will be planned excursions. You agree?"

They nodded with smiles on their faces.

"As long as we are allowed to be with our grandchild." Aragorn nodded in agreement.

"That's fine." Ellisarian laughed happily. "All that is left now… is to be married by ceremony."

* * *

A few years later…

"Antony!" Ellisarian shouted through the halls. He stormed into the Great Hall and saw his father conversing with Merrick over past ventures as they did so often now. "My love!" He called and both men turned to him a bit disgruntled at his tone of voice.

"Yes." Merrick replied, wondering if he had done something wrong, but not sure.

"Where have you hidden our son?" Ellisarian demanded accusingly.

Merrick sighed with relief that he hadn't done anything to be yelled at and Aragorn laughed at him.

"It is not a laughing matter!" Ellisarian yelled and Aragorn became silent with an uncontrollable grin fighting to the surface of his face. "Where is he? You always know where he is!" Ellisarian accused his husband.

Merrick snickered, then outright laughed. "Is it any wonder why?" He replied.

"Find him!" Ellisarian ordered sternly.

Merrick looked around the room with an amused glance. "He has hidden in the stables. Are you playing that game again?" He taunted his husband, who growled and stormed out of the room toward the stables.

When he was finally out of view and hearing range, Aragorn and Merrick broke out into laughter.

"How do you get him to consent to these games?" Merrick asked aloud and his son appeared from behind the throne at his father's right side. He was a tall boy of thirteen with dark ebony hair and startling green eyes like his father.

"He is still a child at heart, besides that fact, you really do not need permission to play Hide and Seek, do you?" Antony answered with a short laugh. "I best be off before he discovers that you've aided me instead of him." He laughed and dashed out of the room.

Aragorn and Merrick laughed heartily as they watched him go. Just as they saw him exiting the hall they heard Ellisarian shouting his name and could see Antony bolt, shortly followed by Ellisarian and a laughing Legolas.

And so they lived happily ever after…

THE END?

* * *

A/N: This story has an alternate ending, but it was very depressing, and I thought no one would care for it, so I made a fluffy happy ending and cut the story by a few pages. It may sound awkward, but it's mostly because I just wanted any people reading the story to understand where I was going, and to be able to read an ending.


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